


Chronicles: Evalied

by BG_Character_592



Series: Chronicles [10]
Category: Elfen Lied, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Gen, Giant Robots, MST3k-Style Riffing, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:14:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 69,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BG_Character_592/pseuds/BG_Character_592
Summary: Shinji and company had *just* arrived in their holiday home when a mysterious anime popped in from nowhere.So what do they do? They watch it!
Relationships: Ayanami Rei/Nagisa Kaworu, Ikari Shinji/Souryuu Asuka Langley
Series: Chronicles [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1203856
Kudos: 2





	1. Evalied 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Advice and Trust](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/629566) by Strypgia. 



> This is the tenth instalment of Chronicles, a continuation of Strypgia's Advice and Trust, published here with his consent, originally posted on Sufficient Velocity. It is recommended one reads Advice and Trust first, as many of the characterisations and events differ from what is considered canon to Evangelion.
> 
> While this story is a continuation of Advice and Trust, it's not set in its exact universe. This story diverges from Advice and Trust starting from Chapter 11.12 (on Sufficient Velocity).
> 
> This is a direct sequel to Chronicles: Project G.
> 
> As usual for Chronicles, this story is rated Mature for sexual references, occasional violence and confronting scenes.
> 
> IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE WARNING: Elfen Lied itself requires a content warning for egregious nudity, sexual references, and a whole ton of bloody violence and gore, parts of which will be referred to within the main body of work.
> 
> Many thanks to Jimmy Wolk and others for translation help.

* * *

## 1\. Satellite

Ever since the apocalypse that was Second Impact, Antarctica had been a dead zone. Adam's Anti-AT Field had _obliterated_ any and _all_ Lilithian life in a sizeable radius; the LCL from this life still staining the Southern Ocean blood red. Even up to New Albany, the largest port of the Swan Confederacy and _immeasurably_ important in trade between themselves and Australian Bendigo, the oceans were stained with a light red. Enough to be noticeable in direct daylight, at the very least.

Even _if_ life could be supported here, it'd be relegated to the sea. Unless you count the various pillars of salt that scattered where the Continental Antarctic once stood.

This darkly picturesque scene was disrupted by a Rift, opening up over one of these salt pillars, seemingly depositing _something_ onto this pillar.

It was a satellite.

The sudden appearance of atmosphere and salt would soon ravage the ancient machine, but for now, it would continue broadcasting.

~

It was hour _God knows_ into this marathon Oversight session. Agent 002 (otherwise known as Spencer Makinami) had recently rejoined the glorified conference call, briefly distracted by other intel but now with fruits to share.

Logs and even _images_ , from the ancient Voyager satellite him and his team would so often communicate with (and almost _broke_ ). At least until communications ceased, several hours ago.

At least they _knew_ why it stopped communicating.

In front of the gathered, images cycled.

It was of a low resolution, but they could clearly see a white light facing a dark being, their own light reflecting off it.

The second image was more or less the same, but the dark being was slightly larger. Based on the logs of Tokyo-3's Magi, this was most likely when the now _re_ possessed Unit-03 removed its own S2.

Image three, a great sphere of _nothing_ , the overexposure of the light mostly bleaching out the image. This was only _half_ an image; the Rift consuming the machine before communications could finish.

"I suppose this would suggest _whatever_ entity took Unit-03, it is no longer an _issue_." Makinami concluded.

"Still, at the cost of an _Evangelion_." Remarked the _Massachusetts_ Commander. "Is this _really_ a good trade off?"

"When we're talking about an enemy entity gaining control of an _S2 enabled Evangelion_ , I would say _yes_." The Russian spat. " _Your_ country knows well the consequences of mishandling such technology."

Mabel grumbled.

"This isn't the time for that." Interjected Makinami. "We have to think about the _consequences_ of this entity being present in our world."

"Are they even _Seele_? Tokyo-3 used a _different_ name for them."

"If not Seele, then perhaps their benefactors."

"What of the intel gathered by 016's _operation_?" Queried the German. "I would not be surprised if the _phone_ was not yet cracked, but could the _note_ have any relevancy to this?"

Said note was now front and centre.

"Yet to be seen. 016 suggested it could be relevant to an imminent threat."

" _Everything_ we do covers an imminent threat of some sort!" Mabel exclaimed. "And we _still_ didn't do jack to _this_ threat!"

A lull in proceedings.

"And yet... NERV was able to _counter_ this threat." Thought Makinami. "Prevention is half of it. Even _with_ our resources, we cannot catch them all."

"Then what is the _point_ of this?"

"Because it's better than _nothing_!" His avatar fizzed at the banging of his desk, at the Russian's insolence. "If we did not do _anything_ , we would be in our _second year_ of being _dead_."

Yet another lull.

"This is going nowhere." Concluded the German.

"Indeed." Agreed Makinami. "We'll converge later."

On cue, everyone disconnected.

Halogens illuminated Makinami. "...I am _not_ going to start drinking again."

It was too early for that, anyway. The sun hadn't even risen, yet.

...It meant he could rest for a bit with his partner, at least.

It didn't take him long to flop onto the bed, stirring said partner. "...Spen? You..."

"For now, Clare." He mumbled into the pillow, a small grunt coming from him afterwards.

She shuffled a bit closer, enjoying his warmth. "Sounds like a crock."

"...Yeah. I'd say that was accurate."

His phone rang, the chip tune rendition of the 358-Step March filling the bedroom.

"You... probably wanna answer that, Spen."

"Of _course_ it rings now." Muttering, as he reached for it. " _What_?"

To Clare, the things that were said sounded like _Peanuts' teacher._

"...Hmpf. _That's_ a turn of events." A tired admission, clearly _not_ wanting to deal with it. "I'll deal with it _after_ I get some sleep, okay?"

The phone clicked off.

"Do I dare ask what now?"

"Voyager's ended up in the Antarctic."

Even with the lack of light, he could _see_ his partner's furrowed brow. "In any other line of work, that sentence would make no sense."

"Yeah, well welcome to my job."

His head hit the pillow, him falling asleep almost _immediately._

Claire wasn't long behind him. "I _still_ don't know how you deal with this stuff, Spen..." Softly murmuring, before she too fell back asleep.

~

"So that's what's going on with us, Carmen." Asuka explained, into her phone. "Wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know about it."

_"Actually, the Subcommander of Tokyo-3 published a little analysis on that sort of thing on the NERV Usenet a few hours ago. Does that_ really _just happen to you guys?"_

"Eh, we're used to it by now."

_"And this just_ appeared _in your room?"_

"Yeah, I tend to just blame _God_ for that."

Carmen snorted over the phone. _"Yeah, that's prob'ly the best explanation_ I _got for that. Still, not sure_ where _you're gonna_ find _a DVD player."_

"Yeah, can't say they were common _here_ , as well. Were you a Laserdisc or a VHS gal?"

_"Pfft, I couldn't_ afford _Laserdiscs until I got my job at NERV."_

"Heh, fair enough." She remarked, her eyes on Shinji, Rei and Kaworu bumbling their way through a local market; tossing various meats, vegetables, tofu, and other spices and ingredients into a wicker basket Rei bought at the same market, when they realised they didn't have _anything_ to put the groceries in.

Asuka couldn't help but imagine just _what_ kind of food Shinji was planning on whipping up, but she could withhold from excessive salivation while she was on the phone. "So I'm guessing _you guys_ don't have a DVD player we can borrow for a bit?"

_"I wouldn't_ think _so; I'll have to ask Randy about it. If_ anyone _knows about whether we have a damn_ DVD _player, it'd be him."_

"Considering _we_ only had one DVD _drive_ , not even a _play_ \- hold on, who's Randy?"

_"Oh, you don't know?"_

"Anything beyond mid 2015, I wouldn't know about. Hell, even _before_ that, I didn't get exposed much to the politics of NERV."

_"Oh. He's head of Project E here; Randall Vogel. Certainly_ took _him long enough to get to head, but... yeah you'd know well..."_ She petered off, at the apparent _sensitivity_ of the subject. _"How..."_

"Yeah, I know. It's alright." She defused, saving that name for future reference. "Though... it wouldn't surprise me if _that_ was why you seemed so... _accommodating_ of us."

_"Heh, you saw right through it, Asuka."_ She admitted, before giving a sight that was still twinged in melancholy. _"Still... it's rather_ shameful _what happened to you, in all honesty."_

A shrug. "I know _you_ certainly weren't Ops Director back then. You of all people would be _absolved_ on all that. Say, what _were_ you doing back when I was around?"

_"Intelligence and Section 2, mainly."_ Audibly shrugging. _"Hell, I didn't even_ join _NERV until around 2011; intelligence was my bread and butter for a good while."_

"Oh yeah, no _wonder_ I didn't see you around."

Carmen chuckled. _"Still moonlight that, sometimes. Pays well, at the very least."_

"Is _that_ how you pay for all your cars?"

_"I ain't confirming or denying that, Asuka."_ Teasing.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Still, I'm... _grateful_ for what you're doing for us."

_"Call it_ my _part in redeeming our organisation."_

Another slight lull, as Asuka thought to further bring that subject up. "...Hey, Carmen? You wouldn't happen to know _what_ happened to them _after_ all that, right? I... wasn't exactly told that when I was younger; for good reasons, I know."

The other briefly paused.

_"I'm not exactly sure_ what _I can tell you about it; it's not entirely my jurisdiction, and it was_ well _before my time, at this point. But... you know we, being_ NERV and formerly Gehirn _, got that injunction to separate you from them around 2006."_

"...Which I _do_ appreciate, if I'm honest."

_"Given_ what _that monster was doing to you... but after that, I honestly don't know what happened, Asuka. They simply_ disappeared _. I'm pretty sure the Bundespolizei_ still _have warrants out for them, actually."_

Another grim thought. "Is this... _disappeared_ in the _Seele_ sense?"

And yet another pause, a long pause, presumedly as Carmen tried to rack her brain.

_"I... don't know. I'm sorry."_

"No, it's... alright." She sighed. "More _my_ fault for thinking that."

_"Hey, if it makes you feel better, I can always look into it a bit more, eh? You're our_ guests _here, after all."_

"...I wouldn't mind. Thanks, Carmen."

_"Don't mention it, kid."_ Her chuckle didn't do much to mask her pensiveness. _"I'll ask Randy about the DVD player, see what he can do."_

"I... appreciate it, Carmen. I'm gonna be saying that a lot, I imagine."

_"What can I say? I live to serve."_ She half jested, before hanging up.

Asuka's phone flipped down, briefly pausing to collect herself before catching up with the rest of her tumbleweed. "Sooo, whatcha thinking of cooking?"

A soft smile, on Shinji. "I was thinking about some... _Rouladen_? Is that right?"

"Oooh, been a while since you cooked _that_ , Shin-chan! I assume that's where the _tofu_ comes in, as well?"

"Well, I'm not gonna let Rei and Kaworu _starve_ now, am I?" He scratched the back of his head.

"So how did the phone call go, Asuka?" Softly queried Rei, as Asuka was sorting through the groceries.

"Carmen said she'd ask the head of Project E if _they_ have something. Oh, and get this: " Getting the attention of the three, "His name is _Randall Vogel_."

Yeah, this caused _no end_ of contemplation from the gathered. "Isn't _that_ a coincidence." Noted the fish, clearly _amused_ at this turn of events.

"I... don't _remember_ anything particularly Germanic in Ritsuko."

Asuka shrugged. " _My_ mama's half German and half Japanese; maybe _he's_ half and half as well."

"Though I assume there is no _guarantee_ they are even _related_." Rei thought. "There _is_ a sizeable geographic difference between Germany and Japan. And as she said, her mother never brought it up with her."

"I mean... it _is_ kinda a thing in Japan to _not_ have children out of wedlock." Thought Shinji. "So I can understand _that_."

"Makes you wonder if this Randall _ran away_ from the responsibility, or if Naoko even _told_ him or not."

"The 80s _were_ a wild time, by the looks of it." Jested Asuka. "But you'd _think_ after all this time, Randall would've at least looked into it, if he _knew_ he had a child with her."

"And that child was _Ritsuko_ , of all people."

"It's certainly _something_ to think about, at the very least." Huffed Kaworu. "Though back to DVDs, I suppose that does not guarantee they'd even _have_ a player."

"Maybe we will be lucky, and find one in this market."

"Rei, we've been here for an _hour_ so far, and haven't found _anything_ like that."

She shrugged. "I know of at least _one_ games console that ran on DVDs. It _was_ released a few months _before_ Second Impact in Japan."

"Which probably means it wasn't _exported_ , then." The fish noted.

"So _that's_ a bust." Asuka muttered. "Oh well. Don't suppose that penguin God can be so kind as to drop a DVD player in our laps?"

A long stretch of silence, a crow crying in the distance.

"Yeah, I don't think they'd make it _that_ easy on us."

"Damn that penguin!"

Laughter throughout the group.

~

The phone clicked off. "...Heh. _Moonlighting_ in intelligence."

If they knew the full extent of her moonlighting, perhaps they'd be a bit more _scared_ of her.

But _they_ don't need to know, as she entered a small room, silver platter in hand. "Guten Tag, Augustin! Ich habe eine kleine _Überraschung_ für Sie."

("Good afternoon, Augustin! I have a little _surprise_ for you.")

Strapped to a chair, bound and gagged, was Augustin Fourier. Formerly Seele, formerly RSR agent, now their _esteemed guest_ and a source of valuable intel for Kleiner; BND agent, Oversight agent, and occasional paramour of NERV-Berlin.

And _not_ of her; she preferred men like Randall anyway.

She was _still_ somewhat bemused as to why they chose _NERV_ to stash him away; wouldn't be the _first_ time NERV-Berlin was used as a _dumping ground_. Perhaps using the greater autonomy of NERV as an excuse, not that the _UN_ would complain. As long as they didn't end up _killing_ him.

It probably messed up her _own_ mind as well, she thought. She _could_ justify it was Seele she was dealing with, but that didn't change the fact what NERV was doing was essentially _torture_.

But that's just how it went. Plus, Seele were known to do a _lot_ worse.

Whatever the surprise was, Fourier wasn't too enthused about it, to say the least, as the woman in red undid his gag. "Hast du vor, mich zu _vergiften_?"

("Do you intend to _poison_ me?")

" _Gott bewahre_ ; es ist zumindest nicht die _Autobatterie_."

(" _God_ _forbid_ ; it's not the _car battery_ at the very least.")

Indeed, it was a _cheese platter_.

He scoffed. "Nur weil ich _Franzose_ bin, mag ich Käse?"

("Just because I'm _French_ means I like cheese?")

"Es ist mehr Essen, als Sie die gesamte letzte Woche hatten. Ich würde sagen, 'einem geschenktem Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul'."

("It's more food than you've had for a week. I'd say don't look a gift horse in the mouth, myself.")

A harrumph. "Also, wirst du meine Fesseln lösen, damit ich das essen kann?"

("So, will you loosen my binds so that I can eat this?")

"Nein." A somewhat _evil_ smirk. "Ich lasse es einfach _hier_ , nur _aussss~serhalb_ der Reichweite."

("I'm just gonna leave it _right here_ , _juuu~ust_ out of reach.") She got up, ready to leave the room. "Vielleicht lassen wir Sie essen, wenn Sie für uns _singen_."

("Perhaps if you _sing_ for us, we'll let you eat.")

"...Schlampe."

("...Bitch.")

A flick of her hair, "Bessere Männer haben mich schon Schlimmeres genannt, Augustin~"

("I've been called much worse by better men, Augustin~") She trilled, before leaving him to his own devices.

Towards a Section 2, she whispered: "Wenn er sprechen will, hol Kleiner dazu."

("If he wants to speak, get Kleiner in on it.")

But a nod.

He can deal with his own dirty laundry. For now, she had business with Randy.

~

The lab of Randall Vogel was much like many labs.

Filled to the brim with various computers and papers.

Compared to the lab of Ritsuko Akagi, however, it was _completely_ disorganised, or _'organised chaos'_ as he'd put it to Carmen. Only _God_ knew how the hell he _could_ keep it organised like that, though, cause _she_ sure as hell didn't.

Not even bothering to knock, she entered. "Oiiiiii Randy?"

Jolting from his terminal and turning sharply, he visibly relaxed when he saw it was _just_ Carmen.

"Könntest zumindest _klopfen_. Du weißt nie, _was_ ich tun könnte."

("Could _knock_ , at least. You never know _what_ I could be doing.")

"Auch schön, dich zu sehen, Randy."

("Good to see you as well, Randy.") She teased, _deliberately_ leaning provocatively in front of him, her auburn hair framing her coy face. "Du... hättest nicht zufällig einen DVD-Player in der Nähe, oder?"

("You... wouldn't happen to have a DVD player around here, would you?")

He politely glanced away, much to Carmen's disappointment once more. "Ich werde in den Läden nachsehen, obwohl ich mich _frage_ , wozu du einen DVD-Player bräuchtest."

("I'll check the stores, though I wonder _why_ you'd need a DVD player.")

"...Vielleicht hat gerade jemand etwas... _Obskures_ gefunden, das _nur auf_ DVD erschienen ist?"

("...Maybe someone in particular found... something _obscure_ that _only_ came on DVD?")

A questioning look was offered.

"Agh, okay. Die Piloten aus Tokyo-3 haben etwas auf DVD gefunden."

("Tokyo-3's pilots found something on DVD.")

He seemed to _light up_. "Ah, haben wir endlich etwas von diesem Rift-Material bekommen?"

("Ah, did we finally get some of that Rift material?") He might not _sound_ like it, but Carmen could tell he was _excited_. "Ich habe Doktor Akagis Notizen darüber gelesen. Es ist absolut _faszinierend_ , wie so etwas überhaupt _existieren_ kann."

("I've been reading up on Doctor Akagi's notes on that; it's utterly _fascinating_ how such thing can even _exist_.")

"Nun, _das_ freut dich auf jeden Fall."

("Well _you're_ certainly excited about that.") She deadpanned. "Ich bezweifle, dass sie _bereit_ wären, sich so kurz nachdem sie es _gefunden_ haben, schon wieder davon zu trennen."

("I doubt they'd exactly be _willing_ to part with it so soon after _finding_ it.")

"Wir lassen sie es zuerst sehen."

("We'll let them watch it first.") Shrugging, pointing to something on his monitor. "Dort."

"...Oh? War das das Zeug, das wir in diesem verlassenen _Frachter_ gefunden haben?"

("Was that the stuff we found in that abandoned freighter?")

"Ich sagte dir, dass es eines Tages nützlich sein würde."

("I told you it'd come in handy someday.") A small smirk, looking back to the monitor. "Achten Sie auf die _blauen Boxen_."

("Look for the _blue boxes_.")

A small chuckle, before she _squeezed_ him. "Danke dafür, Randy!"

("Thanks for that, Randy!")

"Heh. Es ist mir ein Vergnügen, Carmen."

("My pleasure, Carmen.")

She ran off, leaving him with his terminal.

He merely gave a light hearted sigh, before returning to his work.

~

_"See? I_ told you _we're_ _alright_ , _Misato!"_

Misato couldn't help but smile. Meetings and paperwork and even more of the sort; this was a nice bit of levity to the end of the day. "I take it you like the lodgings, then?"

_"It's certainly_ cozy _, but I'm sure_ we _wouldn't mind that."_ Her voice had a certain _allure_ to it.

Which Misato _immediately_ picked up on. "So what'll be your _official_ explanation for the fact your tumbleweed has seemingly gotten a whole lot more _tighter knit_?"

_"NACSS training. So that we can work with_ more _pilot pairs."_

Pursed lips. It _was_ a good explanation, admittedly. "...Y'know, I can't even _argue_ that."

_"Hah! I_ knew _it'd work!"_

"Of course, you need to be a bit less _arrogant_."

_"I can get away with it with_ you _, at least."_ Asuka chuckled. _"Though I suppose I can't say anything about the_ codependency _."_

"You're _already_ codependent on all three of them." Misato deadpanned. "Not like it's getting _worse_ at this point. So how is this _training_ going down?"

_"Well, we're probably gonna have an early night; jet lag and all that. Probably just swap with one another every night and see how we work. We haven't really thought it though."_ An audible shrug. _"As the crow flies and all that."_

"I don't think that's the right idiom, Asuka."

_"Eh, you probably know what I mean. We'll play by ear; you know_ that _one right?"_

"Yeah, I get'cha. Well... you know what I said earlier, so I won't say it again."

_"I know, Misato. I made sure to pack my pills; you didn't leave us any_ prophylactics _like you said you would, though."_

"...Shit I forgot about that." She realised. "Don't use that as an excuse!"

The redhead giggled over the line. _"Ah don't worry! The pills haven't failed me yet, have they? Otherwise there'd probably be a_ Misato Junior _right about now, or however you want to name them."_ She jokingly prodded.

"I don't think Junior and Senior applies to women, Asuka. Let alone kids that aren't _mine_."

_"Which is why I used it as an_ example _, cause I_ know _you'd name it something along those lines."_

Misato rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't be _that_ cruel to them, y'know."

But she couldn't help but smile, regardless. "Say hi to the others for me, alright?"

_"I will."_ A light titter, over the line. Misato could _tell_ she was smiling. _"We owe you something serious for this, Misato."_

"This is _us_ paying it back to _you_ for all you did, Asuka. All _you_ need to worry about is your school work and your _tumbleweed_ , eh?"

_"I'm_ still _surprised you're_ willing _for us to become a_ tumbleweed _."_

"Asuka, the way you guys were going, it was gonna happen anyway." She admitted. "Remember how I saw you and Shinji _orbiting_ one another? At least like _this_ , you can _experiment_ with such thing and see if you can make it work in a relatively safe and private environment, that _isn't_ my apartment or next door to my apartment. It's better than you guys _explosively_ combining and potentially _ruining_ some things, that's for sure."

_"I imagine_ you'll enjoy _the next two weeks, as well. All alone, in your apartment. With_ Kaaa~ajii~i _."_

"When we're not occupied with the stuff we sent _you guys_ away for."

_"Yeah, but you guys can make the time for it anyway._ Nights _are good for that sort of thing;_ we _know that well."_

" _I_ know that well, Asuka. You keep me _up_ at night, after all."

_"Ehehe. Either way,_ you _have some privacy as well, Misato. I'm sure you'd_ need _such thing, eh?"_

"...Yeah, can't say I _don't_ want that." Admitting. "Gonna miss Shinji's cooking, though."

_"Y'know we can't live with you forever, eh? Maybe this can also be_ training _for you!"_

"Oh I'm not gonna go back to my old ways in _two weeks_ , Asuka."

_"You better not; if that apartment goes back to your_ old standards _, we're gonna keep you up for a_ month _!"_

"And that's _all_ the incentive I need."

_"Heh,_ that's _certainly good to hear."_ Asuka huffed. _"Talk to you later, eh?"_

"Yeah. I'll call you when I got some time, alright?"

_"Try to make sure it isn't during any of our_ private time _, mmkay?"_

Misato snorted. "Maybe I'll _deliberately_ call you during that time."

_"Well it's gonna go straight to_ voicemail _, in that case."_

"...It was good talking to you, Asuka."

_"Likewise, Misato."_

Asuka was the one who hung up.

"...Yeah. They'll be fine."

She _would_ want to go back home, freshen up, and then slide into bed with Kaji (who will probably be sliding something _else_ into her, but those thoughts are for _later_ ), but she was outside Ritsuko's lab for a reason.

Whatever the reason was, she forgot about when she had the mind to ring Asuka.

But she soon found out what this reason was, as soon as she saw Ritsuko in her smoker's corner. "I'm guessing it's _not_ that Rift material we lost."

Ritsuko, _still_ somewhat vexed, pointed to the two boxes.

Misato, of course, went to investigate. "...Portal, Portal 2... are they _video games_?"

" _Yes._ "

A small pause in proceedings.

Before Misato _laughed her ass off_. "Oh my _God,_ and after all you went on about the Magi _not_ being a games console!"

This laughter didn't stop when Ritsuko shot her friend the biggest stink eye she had _ever_ offered her.

"So how the hell are you even gonna _play_ them?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Ritsuko muttered. "Having them be on DVDs is probably the _least_ annoying aspect of them; I already asked Kensuke to cart his computer to the lab. Being the _only_ computer capable of running the only DVD drive in the entire city."

"I'm sure telling him he could play an _interdimensional video game_ was incentive enough."

The Subcommander _chuckled_. "More accurate than you think, Misato. It'd allow us to _finally_ look at those materials _he_ got, as well. The Mahou Shoujo thing."

"I'm sure he won't just _give you_ the discs."

"I promised him I just want the _video_ from the discs; he can keep them if he wants. Since they actually _involve_ his birds. Plus, not like he can _play_ them anywhere else."

She rapidly shook her head, trying to get herself back on track. "Where was I... yes, having them be DVDs isn't the _most_ annoying aspect. Read the specs on the back of _both_ of them."

Diligently, Misato did as she was told.

And _gawked_. "Jeez, _my_ terminal would barely have the specs for the _first_ one. And it doesn't even _run_ Windows, so _that's_ already busted."

"All else fails, I can brute force the Magi to run it. But I'm gonna _try_ using an emulator for it, first of all; at least _then_ I could say we weren't running it on the _Magi_. It'd just be running on a copy of Windows on a _hypervisor_ on the Magi."

"You're jumping through a lot of hoops to _not_ say you're playing a video game on the Magi."

"I _damn well know_ _that_ , Misato." _Carefully_ speaking through her teeth. " _Damn_ that penguin of yours."

"Oi, it's not _my_ penguin's fault!"

The door slid open. "Gods _damn_ is it difficult to get this moved anywhere without a car."

"Least ya don't have to wait _too_ much longer before you can get your provisional, eh?"

"Gods know _we're_ certainly nowhere close." Muttered Sayaka. "But I suppose that's _one_ advantage of having a boyfriend, eh Kyo?"

"Sounds like _you'll_ be designated driver in your relationship, Ken." Misato mused in amusement.

Kensuke shrugged. "Don't exactly _need_ a car for most things in this city. It's just the occasional moments when you need to lug a _twenty five kilogram computer_ from your home to the _Geofront_ when it _may_ be useful."

"I'm kinda surprised you even _got_ it here with just _that_ , I assume." Maya pondered, looking at the cart that Kensuke's SGI Octane rested on.

"People don't question when you transport weird things on the train, go figure." Kyoko deadpanned, revelling her own cargo. "s'Not the _weirdest_ thing this city's seen, that's for sure. Speaking of, we got you guys that anime of _us_ as well."

"Many thanks." Ritsuko gave a short bow, accepting Kyoko's offering. "Anything of note we need to know for your Octane, Kensuke?"

"Uhh... the DVD drive is external and Firewire, so-"

"Wait, did you say _Firewire_?"

"...Yeah?"

From underneath her arm, Misato bought out her own terminal.

And pointed to the _Firewire_ port that all computers of her brand possessed.

_Immediately_ , Kensuke's face fell flat, his ire evident.

"Y'know, Misato." Ritsuko began, as flat as a pancake. "You could've _told_ us your exotic terminal had a Firewire port _before_ we got Kensuke to lug his _twenty five kilogram computer_ from the other side of the city."

Misato's hands went up. "Hey, _I_ wasn't told Firewire was actually _useful_ in this country. Plus, _you_ were the one who got it _working_ with the Magi, so don't try pinning it _all_ on me!"

"So all you really need is the _disc drive_." Muttered Kensuke, offering the Commander a stink eye to rival Ritsuko.

"You really _are_ her student."

Ritsuko's hand went on Kensuke's shoulder, "Sorry about that. Though I appreciate the effort."

"It's fine, Subcommander." Kensuke conceded. "Still had to get that _other_ stuff, anyway."

"Do you want Section 2 to give you guys a lift back home?"

"...Oh I don't want to be a _burden_ on them or anything."

" _Take the damn offer_ , Ken."

"But if you're _insist_."

"That's the spirit." She smirked, taking the external drive back into NERV possession. "We'll work on it; we might get _you_ to work on it as well, during your rostered hours."

"You won't catch _me_ complaining about it, Subcommander. A chance to play an interdimensional video game? That's _awesome_!"

"Good to see _you're_ excited about it, kid." Mused Maya.

And soon enough, the trio left, dragging Kensuke's dumbbell of a computer with him.

Once more, Misato was the subject of a stink eye from the Subcommander. "What? I didn't know that drive was _Firewire_."

"At least that damn _terminal_ of yours might be useful for something _other_ than being flashy." Muttering, wordlessly asking for said terminal.

"Hey, didn't you say my terminal ran a eunuchs of some sort?" As she offered it.

" _Unix_ , and yes it _could've_ been a lot worse, I admit." As she got to work, plugging in the drive and _immediately_ opening a terminal application; her native environment. "It's not _Windows_ , at least. The less time I spend dealing with that abomination of an operating system, the better."

At least until she noticed the _time_. "Jeez, is it _really_ that late already?"

Misato too glanced at this. "I suppose time flies when you're _shovelling shit_." Muttering. "Oh well, you guys can work on that _tomorrow_ , if you want to."

"You want it b-"

"I'm gonna be here _tomorrow_ , Rits. I'll just get it then."

A huff, "Fair enough."

Soon she left, leaving the Sempai and Kohai.

"...Cause Gods know _we_ could use some rest as well, Maya."

All Maya gave was a sigh. "You got _that_ right. What if... we think of Eliza as on a vacation with the pilots?"

Furrowing her brow. "Is that _really_ a better thought?"

Four seconds it took Maya to blanche. "O- _oh_. Uhh... it's better than her being dead?"

"I mean... you're _right_."

~

"You know how much I _appreciate_ you, right?"

"Wark."

"Yes I _know_ you're confused with this all, Pen-Pen. But let me have my moment, okay?"

Pen-Pen paused.

Before he relented to the hug. "...Wark."

"Yeah... I know you appreciate me as well. Even if you don't show it too often."

"Wa-wark?"

"...Yeah, it might've been one of those Rift materials you've seen every now and then."

"Wa-wark wark?"

"...Yeah, involving _you_."

Didn't take much for Pen-Pen to put two and two together to realise just _why_ she was feeling this way towards him. As far as _he_ knew, these Rift materials were pretty _shocking_ in terms of keeping them alive.

Seems like even _he_ wasn't immune to that. "...wark."

"Yeah. But... I guess you became God in the end, so... all good?"

A flat stare from the penguin.

"Wark."

"Oh I'm sure you'd be a _benevolent_ God, at least to your _friends_."

"Wark."

"Fair enough." She chuckled, as she imagined him as God of Fish and Beer. "Go on, Pen-Pen."

He _nuzzled_ her. "Wark."

"Love ya too."

A soft smile, as he returned to his fridge.

The lights soon went out, and she was back in her room, immediately getting ready to join her other in bed.

"A lot quieter without them, eh?"

"Yeah." A small huff. "Though... I said it already, I'm sure we could use the privacy ourselves, eh?"

"I know _I_ certainly wouldn't mind." A sly smirk.

A flat look, tossing her clothing in a pile at the end of the bed, her scar and a lot more plain for Kaji to see. "At the very least, we won't get _interrupted_."

He gave a soft chuckle, as his fiancee approached, nestling herself close and wrapping her arms around him. "And a couple weeks, at that." His own hand parted her hair; those eyes were always too much to pass up. "Maybe it'd get us _used_ to living alone. Can't imagine they'll be _too long_ for leaving the nest."

"Do you and Asuka just have a _mental link_ , or something?" She playfully chided, poking at his chest. "Cause that's pretty much what she said to _me_ , as well."

A small chuckle. "Well, I suppose _someone_ had to influence her."

To which, Misato offered a small titter. "I mean... I kinda _like_ having a full house. Having all the noise and activity and that. Though I guess it _would_ come to an end, after a while."

"Heh, well..."

A finger traced from her chest to her lower stomach. "I know we've been _talking_ about that. If you _like_ having a full house..."

"Rather _bold_ of you to bring that up _now_ , I'd think." She chuckled, especially as his hand drifted _lower_. "Y-Y'know I'm still _on_ that stuff."

"I wasn't counting on getting you like that _tonight_."

"Heh. S- _Sure_ you didn't."

Her leg wrapped around him; she was _clear_ in what she wanted. "...What if I said I'll stop taking that stuff by the end of the year, maybe earlier. And then... we'll see what happens. Might let it _surprise_ us, eh?"

A small pause from Kaji.

Before he offered a warm smile, leaning in close to her. "I suppose we'll just have to get married _before_ then."

"...Heh." She breathlessly chuckled, looking straight into those sapphires of his. "Come here, you~"

Their lips locked.

And no more words were spoken.

~

Being the quote-unquote _good_ students they were, they decided to spend the time between them coming home from the markets and dinnertime doing their school work.

Because _of course_ they were expected to do school work on their vacation. It's _Japan_ , after all, as Asuka made clear.

But one more _advantage_ of their little tumbleweed was the ability to _collaborate_. At least when they weren't on the phone with their folks slash guardians, but fair enough, it was getting late in _Japan_. "It's good to see they _still_ put that Second Impact bullshit in this." Muttered Asuka. "Wasn't that _publicly_ disproven?"

"Goes to show how _slowly_ the education system moves, I suppose." Mused Shinji. "At least stuff like _mathematics_ is generally unchanging. Two plus two always equals four."

"At least in base 10."

"I think most of the thing with this kind of education is less _what_ is being taught. It is teaching you to _learn_." Philosophised Kaworu. "I imagine we won't put _geography_ lessons to good use, for example. But it shows we can _learn_ , otherwise."

"...Hey, what policy do they have with _soulbonds_ , like you two have?" The flame brought up. "Since it looks like you can speak with one another without _us_ cluing in on it."

"We have not had to deal with an exam as of yet, but we _may_ follow the honour system with it." A small smirk. "It depends on the difficulty, I would think."

Kaworu chuckled. "First piracy, now academic cheating. Tsk tsk, what would _Misato_ think."

"To be fair on me, many of the companies that made those games have gone bankrupt. It is not like they are _losing_ money from my actions."

"I mean, we can't even _argue_ that." Asuka shrugged. "Plus, if Misato _cared_ about how _moral_ we were, we'd probably wouldn't be _here_ right now, eh?"

Snickering all around the table. "Yeah, I doubt many people would consider our little _tumbleweed_ to be morally sound." Shinji idly thought, scrolling through one of the items they would've been taught if they were at school today. "Then again, not like we _care_ about the thoughts of others."

"Unless they are _us_." Smirked Rei.

"Well, _yeah_." The Third couldn't help but smile. "Being the _tumbleweed_ and all that. Though speaking of... how's _that_ gonna work?"

"Well..." Asuka began, closing her terminal, "I had an idea while I was chatting with Misato. How about a _schedule_?"

Their craned heads prompted her to explain further.

"Night _one_ : we stick with our regular partners; something _comfortable_ that we know _well_ , get us used to this place. Night _two_ : _same sex pairings_. Shinji, you're with Kaworu; Rei, you're with _me_. Something we're _still_ comfortable with; I don't need to remind you of our _birthdays_ I'm sure. It might as well be _finishing the job_ , at that point."

"...I certainly wouldn't mind _that_." Quietly remarked Rei, a small smile perking up.

Shinji too held a small smile, albeit he was _blushing_ quite a bit more. "Y-yeah. I'm sure it'd be nice."

"And night _three_ will be when we _really_ get experimental." A sly smile. " _Bond's pairings._ Shinji and _Rei_ , Kaworu and _I_. If we _are_ becoming a tumbleweed, might as well get _fully_ entangled with one another, eh?"

Kaworu, for his part, took this rather well. "Can't deny it may _improve_ our already close relationship."

"Sleeping with one another tends to _result_ in that, Kaworu."

"Now now, I don't _expect_ us to get sexual with one another _immediately_ , despite what I said. Gotta get _comfortable_ with one another, first of all."

"I am sure the _skin on skin contact_ we are planning would help us get... comfortable."

"And... we're _already_ comfortable with one another, aren't we?"

"Well, if _you_ _two_ wanna get started with that sort of thing on _your_ night together, you won't see _me_ complaining about it." A teasing giggle, as she _prodded_ them. "Might encourage _us_ as well, eh Kaworu?"

A wide grin, at _all_ of their blush.

"And then the other nights, I'm not too sure. Maybe we'll just keep looping those three, maybe we'll just end up in a large _pile_ like Misato suggested." A shrug. "I'm willing to go with the flow, myself."

"...Can't deny it's _exciting_." Admitted Shinji, glancing between everyone.

"I'm sure Rei and Kaworu will treat you right, Shinji." The candle grinned. "Plus, you've already had _some_ experience with _Kaworu_ , eh?"

"You could claim he has had experience with _me_ , as well." Rei recalled.

"...Oh _yeah,_ Shin-chan! Maybe she'll let you _touch_ them _without_ you slipping over some non-existent banana peel, like in _our_ world!"

That _certainly_ didn't help his blush.

Lucky for him, they were knocked out of this perverted conversation by a knock on the door.

Shinji couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief at _any_ distraction from that embarrassing memory, as he answered the door. "Ye- Oh, Carmen!"

"Hey there Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Kaworu." She listed off, a nice wide smirk painted on, her signature red overcoat somewhat obscured by the blue box she held in front of her. "Look what _I_ found for you lot! Now before you ask, yes it _does_ play DVDs."

"...They made _another_ Playstation?"

Rei perked up, bounding up from the couch. "... _Oh_. Well, what do you know. _That_ was the console I was referring to when I mentioned a DVD based console."

"Well _shit_ , if we knew _this_ existed, maybe we wouldn't have had to go to Kensuke's house to watch _his_ Rift material!" Exclaimed the candle.

"Technically they weren't even _released_ here." The Director went on to explain. "Back when Gehirn was still a thing, the Bundespolizei came across an abandoned freighter in the North Sea; they _thought_ it was related to some cultish business, but apparently it was _just_ an abandoned freighter. I thought it kinda _boring_ actually, when I read the after action report. But to cut a long story short, Gehirn ended up serving as a glorified _garage,_ being one of the only sizeable places they had at relative short notice."

Her expression turned to a frown, as she tacked on a complaint. "And that wasn't the _last_ time we served as a glorified garage."

"And... it just so happened to have _these_."

"Oh _thousands_ , by our count. They were obviously gonna be _sold_ here; _Adam_ certainly thought otherwise."

"...Huh. _That's_ pretty convenient." Dumbly mused Shinji.

"I know, right? What're the chances a DVD player just falls into your lap like that, eh?"

Asuka's eye twitched.

"But oh well, doubt _you guys_ would complain about that, eh?"

"Oh Gods no."

"Good!"

The box was thrust into Shinji's arms. "Well, you lot have fun now!"

And thus the door was shut.

"...Man she's _still_ someone, ain't she?"

"I'm sure we'll get used to her in our time here, Shinji." Mused Asuka, herself getting up and rushing. "Well? Open it! Let's see what's inside!"

Soon enough, they were _all_ gathered around this box, as Shinji got around to the unboxing.

"Must say, it looks more... _striking_ than my Dreamcast."

"Your Dreamcast is literally a _particle board box_ , Rei." Asuka deadpanned.

"My point still stands."

Kaworu continued sorting through what was in the box. "Manuals... composite and power cables... certainly a _different_ controller than what I'm used to."

"We actually get _two_ analog sticks!"

Shinji dug out a _disc_ , from the bottom of the box. "Looks like we even get a _demo_ for this."

"Heh, what _games_ have they given us?"

Shinji read from the back of the black label demo sleeve. "Uhh... FIFA 2001, so _soccer_ ; SSX _Snowboarding_ , and Wild Wild _Racing_." He continued murmuring through the videos. "And something called Yabasic."

" _Football_."

" _That_ runs _BASIC_?" Eliza, from within Rei, exasperated.

"I mean, games consoles _are_ pretty much computers." Asuka pointed out. "It's kinda cool they allow _anyone_ to _program_ it in some way, actually. Yes, even _if_ it's something as simple as BASIC."

"It's probably about _all_ you could program on something like _that_." Eliza!Rei shrugged.  "Though I guess _I_ shouldn't complain."

Eliza swapped with Rei. "Indeed. As long as it can play _DVDs_ , whatever is in that demo disc is mostly _irrelevant_. Though I suppose it will provide _another_ source of entertainment."

"Any chance you could find some _other_ games for it, maybe?"

"This was not _released_ here. It was only out for _months_ in Japan before Second Impact destroyed any chance of it succeeding."

"...So that's a _no_?"

A flat look. "Not unless Pen-Pen graces us with _video games._ "

"Alright, fair." Asuka conceded. "So let's set it up, then!"

There was a spare power plug next to the TV's plug, so sorting _that_ out was easy enough.

They had to manoeuvre a bit to get the composite cables into the back of the CRT, but they managed it. Rei's AT-Field came in handy.

And with a flick of the switch, and a click of the reset button, a discordant chord filled the room.

They couldn't help but chuckle at this initial victory, Asuka plugging in the controller and cycling through the initial setup. "German alright with you guys? This doesn't have Japanese as an option."

They shrugged. "We all _understand_ it, don't we?"

"It would _fit_ this country, at the very least."

A chuckle, "Fair enough, Rei."

German chosen as the primary language, it was easy enough to set up the timezone and whether daylight savings was a thing. "I don't think _anyone_ in this damn world wants to _save_ daylight nowadays." Wryly remarked Asuka, as the Playstation 2 entered its menu. "Alright, _that_ was simple enough."

"So we should just be able to put the disc in and it should work?"

"I _assume_ so, Shinji." She shrugged, as she was passed the case.

Taking out the disc, Asuka put it in the console. "I don't know _how_ this failed against a damn _Laserdisc_. These are _so much easier_ to handle, aren't they? And I guess by the fact they put a damn _label_ on it, it's just like a CD in that you don't have to _flip it_."

Shrugging all around. "It wouldn't be the _first_ time this world had screwed us over."

Asuka seemed to be amused at this. "Oh, so Second Impact was all a conspiracy to destroy the _DVD_ , then?"

"Honestly, I like that explanation better than whatever our Sensei gives us." Shinji muttered, settling in on the couch. "At least it's _audacious_ in how bullshit it sounds."

The tray went in. "You have a point with that, Shin-chan."

They all settled on the couch, tightly packed together, Asuka handling the controller as a remote. "Okay, let's see if this works."

Luckily enough for them, it _did_.

Much to their _complete_ surprise. " _Huh_. I kinda expected it to be a bit more..."

"Difficult?"

"Yeah, admittedly."

"Perhaps Pen-Pen _is_ smiling on us. It _is_ our vacation, after all."

"Well, _I'm_ certainly not complaining about this." Concluded Asuka. "Hey, Eliza? Do you wanna watch with us, as well?"

"I'd like that." Eliza as Rei smiled.  "It'd... be like at home, eh?"

"Exactly my thought, Eliza. Gotta make sure _you're_ entertained as well, eh?"

And so, after filing through a few menus, they got started on the first disc.

* * *

## 2\. Elfen Lied

Character Key:

Shinji (S) Asuka (A)

Rei (R) Kaworu (K)

Eliza (E)

Timestamps are indicated to the side of the subtitles.

### 2.1: A Chance Encounter ~ Begegnung

_Os Iusti Meditabitur Sapientiam_ (00:00)

The rather _haunting_ OP played.

A: "Oh, good to see it's _immediately_ getting started with the fan service." She muttered, as the liturgical chanting was contrasted with _ecchi_. "It's gonna be one of _those_ shows, ain't it?"

R: "Perhaps the fanservice will get us in a _mood_."

E: "It's gonna put _some_ of you in a mood, that's for sure. A part of me wonders _who_ that girl is hugging, though."

Said woman was now hugging a stone statue.

S: "Probably not _that_."

K: "Perhaps it's the _language_ they are using, but I'm getting some _Madoka Magica_ hints from this work."

A: "Is it an _actual_ language, this time around? Instead of apparently being the _Dead Sea Scrolls_?"

K: "Latin."

Asuka shrugged. " _Still_ don't understand it, but at least it's an _actual_ language."

R: "A language that _Kaworu_ _understands_."

The image slowly slid up, exposing the breasts of the red haired character.

A: "Oh _come on_ , they aren't even _trying_ to hide it!"

K: "I'm pretty sure _all_ they need to hide in order to be legal is the _lower_ region."

A: "Yeah, I know _that_. Which is kinda _strange_ , but _I_ probably shouldn't complain."

E: "It'd give you _more_ to complain about."

Asuka snorted. "Yeah. But even with things like _Franxx_ , they always made sure to at least hide the _nipple_ part of the breasts."

S: "Seems like they aren't even _bothering_ with that."

K: "Should we look away?"

Asuka shrugged. "I mean, we're openly planning on _swinging_ for the next few weeks. I can't really _stop_ you from ogling them, I guess."

R: "As I said, perhaps it will get _us_ in the mood."

A: "As long as _I_ can ogle them as well."

K: "You won't see _us_ stopping you." He smirked.

E: "My point still stands. I'm sure _your_ passenger thinks the same as well, Kaworu."

Kaworu introspected. "She's appreciating the imagery so far."

E: "Well then." She muttered.  "Can't wait to see _more_ of this."

_Yeah, Might Wanna_ Rethink _That, Eliza_ (01:30)

The _very first image_ they saw coming from this fanservice laden OP was of a _twitching severed arm_.

And _everyone_ immediately blanched. "Oh _come on_! You can't go from _softcore porn_ to a _snuff film_!"

R: "Talk about _mood whiplash_."

S: "Well, at least it's _upfront_ about what it'll involve." He muttered.

Shinji had an impeccable knack for timing, because as _soon_ as he said that, a man's head _exploded_.

K: "So much for getting us in the _mood_."

E: "I would suggest _they_ were our main character. That mask seems to match what was on the cover."

A: "So not only is she _hot_ , she's a _Nephilim_?"

R: "Albeit, a more _bloodthirsty_ one."

K: "Of course, _that_ universe may have a different name for them. Do we know who _made_ this?"

Rei offered a quick glance to the box. "ARMS."

S: "Well, _someone_ certainly lost an arm."

A gun fired.

A: "Betcha 10 Euro _he's_ about to lose one or _all_ of his body parts."

S: "That's a loaded bet."

The surroundings began to buckle.

A: "Yeah, you're right. Worth a shot, though."

_Open Door_ (02:25)

And the doors opened.

E: "She's _really_ been busy."

S: "It's good we're kinda _used_ to those bodily horrors."

A: "Can't believe that's a _good_ thing, for once." She muttered.

K: "Needless to say, I don't think _Maya_ will watch this."

A: "She'll make it past the OP, at least."

To contrast with the bloodshed, the tumbleweed got a good look at this woman's arse and breasts.

R: "Must say, she is _spotless_."

K: "If she _is_ a Nephilim, or at least _like_ a Nephilim, she wouldn't _need_ to lay her hands on them."

Kaworu _also_ had an impeccable knack for timing, as she _dropped a severed head_.

E: "Well, I doubt _he's_ making a recovery."

K: "Not many people _survive_ decapitation." He mused.

A: "What, do ARMS think they can get away with not hiding _anything_ from her if they just contrast it with _extreme violence_?"

S: "It'd stop most people from getting _aroused_ at such thing, I'd think. Then again, we _are_ Evangelion pilots."

K: "Indeed, _we_ often engage in such violence."

A: "At least it's against _enemies_. Nothing like bathing in the blood of _another_ Evangelion to get your _own_ blood pumping."

_Kitchen_ (03:15)

Kaworu snickered. " _Kisa_ ragi, eh?"

A: " _Sounds_ kinda similar, eh? We'd just have to see if she's a purple haired drunkard!"

Indeed she _wasn't_. She appeared actually somewhat _normal_.

A: "Huh."

S: "Judging by the notes, she's just as much a _klutz_ as Misato can be."

E: "Hopefully she doesn't meet her end, then."

K: "Can't say she _isn't_ hopeful. She seems to _like_ this Kurama, at the very least."

R: "At least from _her_ point of view."

Yet _another_ contrast, as security guards were preparing to face this unknown Nephilim.

S: "I see _they're_ preparing to die."

Asuka snorted. "Sure _seems_ that way, at this point."

E: "And all this while, she is carrying a _mug of coffee_ , I assume. What _is_ that animal on that mug, anyway?"

R: "A panda."

E: "...They're pretty cute."

K: "Probably one of the _few_ things cute in this work."

A: "Kisaragi's been pretty optimistic so far, admittedly."

_Two Metres_ (03:55)

The pendulum swung the other way, as it _immediately_ cut to a man's head falling off his body.

R: "I doubt anyone _else_ is as optimistic as she is."

E: "Seems she has a _range_ , at least."

A: "Two metres isn't _that_ much. That's just a bit further than _body height_ , isn't it?"

K: "And if she _is_ like us, she could close _any_ gap in a short timeframe."

S: "So they're dead."

A: "I think that was evident."

A _pen_ flew clean through one of the redshirt's head.

R: "Yes, that would have been good to know _before_ he had his brain matter splattered on the wall."

This sort of bloodshed only _continued_ , as the individual continued dismembering and painting the walls red with her mind.

A: "Y'know, I think I'm _already_ desensitised to this shit."

K: "Unsurprising, in all honesty."

R: "They call people like them _redshirts_ for a reason."

E: "Needless to say, I doubt _this_ universe is a decent one."

A: "Honestly, if she _is_ a Nephilim, they probably _deserve_ this. Especially if she was _imprisoned_ like that."

S: "Maybe she's a _weapon_ of some sort."

R: " _We_ do not appreciate being weapons. Perhaps it is _natural_ she does this, then."

They gawked as a man's upper half impacted the wall at the end of a hallway, two stray legs coming to meet him.

All the while, ominous Latin prayer continued chanting in the background.

E: "At the very least, it's _quick_ on them."

A: "Eventually they're just gonna have to concede bullets don't _work_ on someone with an AT-Field. Or at least whatever the hell _this_ calls it."

_Elevator_ (05:00)

R: "... _Or_ , she could just pull a _Neo_ and stop the bullets in _mid air_."

A: "Oh that's just _showing off_ at that point!"

K: "Considering you have to _deliberately_ do such thing. It's good enough just letting it impact on your AT-Field; those bullets haven't even _hit_ anything."

And like a proverbial or _literal_ terminator, the masked Nephilim continued walking on, the firing squad seemingly _detonating_ in blood and guts and loose limbs.

A: "It _is_ pretty badass, I have to admit."

E: "Very _bloody_."

S: "That tends to be the case when you... _deal_ with things like that."

A: "We practically _bathed_ the city in blood whenever those MP-Evangelion attacked us." A huff. "A part of me kinda _misses_ that; at least they were _easy_ targets."

R: "We had _Evangelion_ , as well."

E: "I imagine _they_ could use an Evangelion, at this point."

Soon, the masked Nephilim confronted some poor sap, clearly scared for his presumedly short life.

K: "You could count the amount of seconds he has left to live on your _hand_."

_Firing Squad_ (06:15)

Go figure, as soon as Kaworu finished speaking his line, said man met his end.

And with a bloodied _invisible_ hand, she faced yet _another_ firing squad. "Oh wow, someone who _isn't_ in guard uniform."

S: "He might actually _live_ through this." He wryly remarked.

K: "Perhaps _he_ is this Kurama." Musing. "If he _is_ as important as was suggested, perhaps he may _not_ die."

E: "Or, as Bond would say, ARMS could flip the script and kill him off _immediately_."

R: "With the content of this show, so far, it would not surprise me if they had a few _red herrings_."

Immediately _ruining_ this confrontation, Kisaragi _tripped_.

_Right in front of the masked Nephilim_. "Aww, I kinda _liked_ her." Bemoaned Asuka.

S: "Man, she's _really_ a klutz."

K: "In mortal danger, and she doesn't even _know_."

Her head was ripped off, her body subsequently used as a _bullet sponge_.

E: "Well, she'd know _now_."

A: "God _damn_ it. Well, at least I know _now_ I shouldn't get attached to _anyone_." She shrugged.

R: " _That_ sounds like a new record. Not even _halfway_ into the first episode and we are _already_ apathetic to the goings on."

S: "To be fair, she _has_ killed everyone she's faced. You can _see_ why we feel like that."

A: "And if _she_ can die."

Though to be fair on _her_ , she refrained from killing the man in _different_ clothing.

K: "Perhaps I _was_ right."

E: "I do not like the _red hand_ on his back."  Eliza noted.  "Given what a red hand _means_."

_Moonlight_ (08:00)

Eliza's fears were unfounded, as the masked Nephilim was exposed to the outside.

A: "Well _that_ was quick."

R: "If what she wants is to _escape_ , I do not think _anything_ will stop her."

S: "I mean, I think that was kinda _obvious_ at this point."

Either way, they _still_ thought to send a sniper out on her.

A _50 caliber Antitank sniper rifle_. "Well, I know _Kensuke_ would gush over such a gun, at least."

E: "I doubt it'll stop her."

K: "When one realises the AT-Field can stop _nuclear weaponry_."

R: "Or _vector_ , as this refers to it as."

A: "Thing is, he's getting _prideful_ at this, ain't he?"

Either way, the shot was fired.

And to the surprise of utterly _no one_ , it _didn't_ finish her off, instead breaking off her mask.

E: "Well, they _say_ it didn't finish her off."

K: "It may not have. But it may be enough to _stun_ her, at the very least."

A: "Falling off a cliff into _water_ wouldn't help her case as well."

The title card displayed.

"Well _look at that_. Once again, _another_ anime that uses _egregious German_!"

"You do know the name of _our_ _organisation,_ right?"

"Yeah, not even _our world_ was immune to it!"

"I'm pretty sure that just means _encounter_ as well." Thought Shinji. "That's _already_ what the Kanji says, more or less."

"I wonder _what_ this chance encounter may be, however."

"A chance encounter between the Nephilim and someone. Most likely involving the latter's _death_."

"Or, it _could_ refer to what happened _after_ this affair."

"I'd think they _would_ recover her _after_ all this. Otherwise that's just _negligence_ at that point."

Kaworu shrugged. "You never know for sure, Asuka."

~

_Station_ (09:10)

S: "Well _this_ is certainly a chance of scenery."

E: "Does such a place exist _here_?"

R: "I _recall_ the station from somewhere."

K: "Perhaps that geography knowledge would've come in handy."

A: "Hopefully _Lucy_ doesn't pay them a visit, lest they lose their heads."

K: "Then again, I doubt this is _her_ concerns, at the moment."

And as the sakura fell, she walked.

R: "Ah. I wonder if she has _feelings_ for this Kohta."

S: "Who just so happens to look a lot like _me_. Even down to the _eyes._ "

A: "Your eyes don't occupy _half your skull_ , Shinji. Even _our_ anime didn't emphasise them _that_ much."

She revealed her own connection to him.

K: "Well, I doubt _Yuka_ will be doing anything _romantic_ with him anyway, being _cousins_."

R: "And I _assume_ they are not as _open_ to such thing as _we_ would be."

Snickering all around, as Eliza within her grumbled.

S: "Though it's clear they're still _close_ , at the very least."

Yuka grabbed his arm, dragging him to see the ocean.

A: "Y'know, you'd _think_ they were romantically involved, at least judging by how they _talk_ with one another. Though then again, not like _I_ have cousins."

E: "The only one I _know_ of with a cousin is _Shinji_."

S: "And I barely even _know_ Annette, at that."

_Beach_ (10:45)

Yuka continued to reminisce about halcyon days.

K: "And now a _Kanae_."

R: " _Another_ friend or familial member, perhaps."

A: "All this is telling me is that they actually had a _good_ childhood!"

S: "A change from all _us_ , isn't it."

Time flashed backed, as they caught a glance of this Kanae.

E: "They seem rather... _melancholic_ about this all."

Kaworu gave but a nod. "Perhaps they have a _reason_ for this melancholy."

This reminiscing about the past was abruptly ended by the appearance of a naked woman.

A: "Well, it was nice knowing them. Damn it, why'd you have to say he looked like you, Shinji!"

S: " _I_ didn't know I only had minutes to live!"

R: "Perhaps it should have been expected." A wry remark. "But to be fair, you _did_ look."

S: "Oh so it's _justified_ then." He muttered. "Maybe _that's_ the reason why she murdered everyone, they were all _gawking_ at her."

E: "Hopefully she _heard_ Asuka giving you permission to _gawk_ , as you put it."

The metaphorical camera continued showing off her... _assets_.

K: "Y'know something? Lucy is rather reminiscent of _Zero Two_ , is she not?"

They all chuckled at this comparison. "Bright pink hair, prefers being _nude_."

R: "Even down to her _horns_."

S: "At least _Zero Two_ didn't randomly rip people's heads off."

A: "She got _close_ to."

_Subversion_ (12:00)

Surprising to the group, _instead_ of blindly killing Yuka and fake-Shinji, she instead made a _cute noise_.

A: "...Wha-"

She tried _running_ from the duo, but immediately tripped and face planted into the sand.

They _all_ burst out laughing at this development. "Oh Jesus _Christ_ , they're making her cute _now_?"

K: "I believe you could apply the pendulum analogy to this."

S: "It's more a _metronome_ , at this point."

Only adding to the apparent absurdity, she started _crying_.

E: "And she's _still_ naked."

K: "Perhaps she is _amnesiac_."

S: "It'd be the _only_ explanation as to why she isn't _immediately_ killing them."

A: "At least _Yuka's_ thinking about her decency."

Now actually _modest_ for once, the duo began probing into her origins.

R: "Seems they _are_ actually horns. She really _is_ similar to Zero Two."

K: "I wonder how _she'd_ react to her."

S: "Probably _positively_."

And just to give the group _more_ to think about Kouta began having a _flashback_.

A: "Oh looks like it'll be like _our_ show as well!"

R: "It is clear he has _something_ going on, in his mind. Most likely involving his younger sister."

K: "Who he sees in Lucy, most likely."

E: "It's rather a _shame_ they're gonna get caught up in this entire business."

Asuka shrugged. "I suppose they _are_ the main characters, then."

S: "Can't even catch a break on my vacation." Shinji muttered.

Much to the amusement of _everyone_. "Ah, you haven't died violently _yet_ , Shin-chan! You're _already_ doing better than just about _everyone_ so far!"

_Kaede Residence_ (13:45)

E: "It _still_ baffles me how they thought to make her _cute_."

A: "Some people _like_ their woman being able to kick ass. I know _Shinji_ likes that."

K: "I wonder how much _money_ his family has, to have a house like _that_."

R: "Enough to not worry about _rent_ , that is for sure."

S: "Certainly more rooms than our _apartment_ has."

K: "Even if you _combine_ our apartments, there are more rooms."

All the while, the somewhat diminished Lucy continued gawking at the sakura.

R: "She even has the _eyes_ of a Nephilim, I noticed. At least of a _non-Zahavilim_ Nephilim."

Asuka shrugged. "I think golden eyes work well on the both of you. Well, _one_ golden eye in _your_ case, Rei."

E: "Grey eyes aren't _that_ bad, Asuka."

S: "Well, if there's one thing you can say we're _different_ at, it's he doesn't _like_ cleaning the house."

A: "He wouldn't be a good _househusband_ , that's for sure."

They finally got a good look at the _interior_ of this spanning household.

S: "Jeez, it _already_ looks like just having _me_ wouldn't be enough."

R: "I think she needs the bathroom." She noted.

K: "I doubt they _had_ bathrooms where she was imprisoned."

A: "Ain't _that_ a horrifying thought."

E: "That's if she can even _communicate_ she needs it."

R: "You can get away with _body language_ , I would think. Since all she speaks in is _Nyu_ , like she were a _Pokemon_."

It cut to a puddle of Nyu's own making.

A: "Oh for fuck's sake, WHY ARE THEY SHOWING THIS?!"

S: "I think the past 15 minutes have proven ARMS have a bit of a perverted streak to them." In deadpan.

_Cleanup_ (15:15)

E: "There's being amnesiac, and then there's your mental state reverting to that of an _infant_."

Rei shrugged. "You never know what mental trauma can do to someone. It is clear to _me_ she has _some_ form of damage."

A: "Bullets to the head tend to do that, I'd think."

K: "I suppose lacking _any_ modesty is another side effect."

S: "It's not even like it's _appealing_ , honestly. She's practically a _child_ in that state, ain't she?"

A: "And yet ARMS are _still_ showing off her assets." Grumbling.

Either way, Nyu fumbled her way through lunch.

E: "Probably the first _solid_ food she's had in a while, I imagine."

A: "I don't exactly picture her captors _feeding_ her, so she's probably pretty peckish."

S: "Considering she doesn't even _know_ how to eat a rice ball."

R: "She really _is_ a child."

The metronome ticked from _fanservice_ to _violence_ , the scene cutting to the carnage that was her _former_ prison, the now illuminated halogens showing just how _caked in blood_ it was.

K: "As if we needed a reminder on what she _is_."

E: "And what's in store for Yuka and Kouta, if she _remembers_."

A: "It seems they need to work on their _security_ , otherwise."

S: "They sure learnt _that_ the hard way."

R: "They are a bit too _late_ in stopping Lucy from getting into the world, I would think."

K: "They're _lucky_ she forgot everything about being a Nephilim weapon."

_Centre Target, Pull Switch_ (17:20)

A: "Well, we know _someone_ who could fit the criteria of _monster_."

E: "She _is_ susceptible to _some_ forms of attack, at the very least."

K: "Much like _us_ , she is not _completely_ invincible."

Bando continued making a mockery of the simulator.

S: "At least _that_ sim seems a bit better than _our_ original one."

R: "It appears to be closer to an _augmented reality_ simulator. Physical environment but computerised targets."

A: "I know _our_ sim is pretty much _all_ virtual."

K: "There aren't _that_ many physical locations suitable for _actual_ training sorties, after all."

And with Bando's _very first line_ , they got a _complete_ picture of his mental state. "Well, seems like _he's_ just as monstrous as his _target_."

A: "Probably even _more so_ , Shinji. He actually _enjoys_ the screaming and bleeding and shooting at real people. At least Lucy was _pragmatic_ and _quick_ in her killing."

E: "Either way, they're letting _him_ deal with the dirty laundry."

As if Bando couldn't get any _worse_ , his _very first interaction_ with a woman was _decking her to the ground,_ and _immediately blaming her for it_.

Asuka's look could melt steel, "Fuck's sake, they _really_ want us to hate him, don't they?"

R: "It is _working_." Muttering through gritted teeth.

E: "At least we will _enjoy_ when Lucy parts his head from his body."

K: "You won't see _us_ complain about it." Muttering. "They're just as bad for not even _bringing it up_."

S: "He tried that _here_ , I _know_ you two wouldn't hold back in _popping him_."

R: "He did _that_ , I would do _more_ than merely popping him."

_Rainfall_ (19:00)

A: "Well _she's_ certainly generous, cleaning the house _once_."

S: "It's more than _Misato_ does, at least."

Asuka snickered.

As once more, Kouta had a flashback, on the behest of a sea shell.

R: "At this rate, I am of the belief either his younger sister _died_ , or _Lucy_ is the younger sister."

K: "I can see _either_ ; it was Lucy who _caused_ one of those flashbacks to her, after all."

E: "The features do not really _match_ , but then again, there could've been some _genetic engineering_ involved. Can't exactly _discount_ that."

At least until Kouta just up and _revealed_ what happened with her.

R: "...Oh. _That_ is depressingly straightforward."

S: "A part of me wonders if Yuka _knew_ that."

A: "...If _that's_ how she reacts, I doubt she did."

Nyu took the shell and _broke_ it.

To the flat looks of just about _everyone_ , as Kouta begun manhandling Lucy _._ "I mean, she doesn't _know_ the significance of it all, but..."

A: "Not a good look on her, eh?"

K: "To say the least."

E: "Rather _understandable_ his reaction, then."

R: "Hopefully he does not get his torso blown off for the trouble."

Instead, she just ran out of the room. As Yuka _tried_ to justify her actions.

K: "It makes _sense_ , at the very least."

E: "Not like she's in a state to know of _nuance_ in emotion."

S: "I mean... that's _still_ Lucy out in the open now, isn't it?"

A: "They didn't _die_ , at the very least." Asuka shrugged.

_SAT_ (22:00)

E: "Let us hope they find her before _they_ do."

A: "And if they _do_ find her before they do, let us hope Yuka and Kouta don't get their heads lopped off in the resulting bloodbath."

R: "You are certainly _hopeful_."

S: "We know _where_ this is set, at least."

A: "Shit, Kamakura's practically a stone's throw away from _Hakone_ , isn't it?"

K: "Indeed it is. Seems like that geography homework _is_ coming in handy." He drolly remarked.

Bando continued talking about how psychopathic he was.

E: "We _get it_ , you're a horrible person."

Such remark resulted in snickering from the rest of the tumbleweed, even _as_ Bando pointed a gun at his fellow soldier. "I think this may be _deliberate_. As we said, it would make his end more _satisfying_."

K: "I wonder if having their _name_ be similar to the former Commanders would help."

They seemed to realise this.

A: "Well, as if I didn't want the worst for him _before_."

~

And with one last look at this quote-unquote _vicious criminal_ , the credits started rolling.

Once again, _laden with fanservice_ , as a rock ballad played in the background. Not just _any_ rock ballad, it seemed to be a _love_ ballad.

Maybe it was this contrast, but that got them _chortling_ at this. "Fuck's sake, this really _is_ a metronome, isn't it?"

"Absurd violence contrasted by absurd perversion." Rei pondered. "Perhaps they believe it cancels out."

"I wouldn't _call_ that the law of equivalent exchange."

The preview of the next episode didn't exactly help its own case.

"At least _next_ episode looks like it will be _firmly_ in the _absurd violence_ portion of the metronome."

"I doubt the _preview_ would show the fanservice. That'd just be _spoiling_ it!"

"So, thoughts so far?" Shinji put to the group.

" _Absurd_." Surmised Asuka. "But we're used to it by now, aren't we?"

Soon enough, the next episode started.

~~~

### 2.2: Annihilation ~ Vernichtung

"Should we bother watching the tits again?"

"You won't see _me_ complain about it." Joked Shinji.

To her flat stare. "Well good, cause I don't know how to pause or fast forward this."

"There _is_ a manual."

"Pfft. Who reads manuals?"

Eliza as Rei simply gave her an unamused look

_Derelict_ (01:30)

R: "...Not exactly the _best_ place for a little girl."

K: "It can be unfortunate, what happens to people. It shows how lucky _we_ are, at the very least."

A helicopter interrupted her musings.

E: " _We_ have a name for this weapon."

Rei chuckled. "Even at _this_ point, there appears to be some minor differences. A particularly strong Nephilim will be able to manipulate _beyond_ two metres."

S: "It doesn't even appear as a _Field_ , does it? More like _hands_."

A: "AT- _Hands_ doesn't have the same ring to it."

Bando _continued_ his arrogance.

E: "How much more can we _hate_ him, I wonder."

K: "He certainly isn't doing himself any _favours_." He flatly remarked. "Considering by the end of the _first_ episode, our opinions were already as low as the Marianas Trench."

A: "Oh he's _well_ into the mantle at this point, Kaworu."

Not like Nyu cared much for this, rain and ocean coming down on her.

"Once again, they're just using the same German word as the Kanji!"

"Can't deny it's _fitting_ for here." Thought Kaworu.

~

_Contemplation_ (03:00)

Kouta continued his internal musings.

E: "He has the _time_ to think about this, I suppose."

S: "I'm kinda hoping it _doesn't_ get interrupted."

K: "It _would_ most likely mean something has gone wrong."

A knock on the door.

A: "You just _had_ to say that."

S: "Apologies."

Kouta opened said door, revelling two middle aged men.

R: "They are investigators." Immediately concluded Rei, _before_ they showed their badges.

K: "They _do_ fit the stereotype to a T, don't they?"

A: "Their eyes are actually _normal sized_ as well!"

Subsequently, they showed Kouta a photograph of Nyu/Lucy.

E: "Well _that_ was self evident."

But Kouta was no snitch.

Kaworu chuckled. "I wonder if he _knew_ they weren't thinking the best for her."

A: "I'm rather surprised they didn't _press him_ _further_ on that. Rather _boldfaced_ of him, ain't it? Especially _after_ what she did."

R: "Then again, he _realised_ she may not have _intended_ that."

They saw as Kouta himself went off to find her. _Without_ locking the doors.

S: "I mean, you don't really _have_ to lock your doors here."

A: "I doubt he'd _mention_ it if it won't come into play _later_."

R: "Chekov's Gun, it is known as. If you describe a rifle in the first act, it must go off in the second. Brevity is the soul of wit."

E: "Don't waste time, essentially."

R: "Essentially."

_Yuigahama_ (05:00)

The SAT continued prowling. "I find it difficult to believe Bando will stick to the plan."

A: "Could be his _bloodthirst_. He'd probably kill _civvies_ if he could get away with it."

E: "He'd most likely _enhance_ the truth some. Wouldn't surprise me if he already _has_ , with his _attitude_ towards it all."

R: "Though _astonishingly enough_ , he _is_ right in how his partner could keep quiet. It is meant to be a clandestine operation, after all."

K: "Wow, something we can actually _defend_ him on for once." He dripped sarcasm. "Though even _that_ doesn't justify ending someone's life over it."

It _focused_ on him _licking his lips in anticipation_.

R: "What about _Bando's life_?"

K: "Well, I'm sure _Lucy_ will have something to do with it, anyway."

_Find_ (06:15)

Much to their surprise, it wasn't the _soldiers_ that found Lucy.

A: "Ain't _that_ a convenience. How long has Yuka spend out there _trying_ to find her, again?"

R: "A while, by my count."

E: "I wouldn't _think_ she was willing to lie to _police_."

S: "Police would be the _least_ of their worries, right about now."

On Shinji's behest, Kouta was butted in his back by the butt of a gun.

_Everyone_ offered him a stinkeye.

Shinji pursed his lips, almost _pouting_. "Fine, my bad."

K: "I would personally recommend to them they _don't_ antagonise the being that could _easily_ bifurcate them."

A: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time Bando didn't listen to recommendations. They should've _already_ shot at them, at this point."

R: "A good thing they did not, else the next three discs will be nothing but static."

E: "He's certainly doing a good _job_ at antagonising her."

S: "It's probably talking about how he plans to _splatter his brains_ , isn't it."

A: "Funny thing, that tends to provoke a response from people."

Kouta's response was to _run_ with Nyu.

K: "...Alright, that's just bad training on _their_ part."

A: "It's almost like Bando's an _arrogant motherfucker_. Whoda thunk it!"

They didn't get _too_ far, Bando _still_ locked and loaded.

And subsequently grounding Kouta.

E: "Does he just lack _any_ self preservation?"

R: "It sure _appears_ that way."

_Missing Person_ (07:50)

K: "Well, looks like _she_ didn't tell them, as well."

R: "A good thing, I would think."

A: "It ensures _they_ keep their heads on their shoulders, at the very least."

E: "Thing is, I don't think _they_ intend on killing her."

S: "Odds are, they don't want to be _obvious_. Sending _special forces_ to kill someone is rather obvious to _everyone_ , isn't it?"

K: "It sounds like they just think her as a _criminal_. They would not know of her... _ability_."

A: "I'm sure they'll be pleasantly surprised to find out her ability, at least in the few seconds of consciousness they'd have after they get their _heads lopped off_!"

In the meantime, Yuka found the injured Kouta on the beach. "Can't say _he_ is in good shape." Rei muttered, as he was loaded into an ambulance.

A: "They didn't end up _killing_ him, at least."

K: "Though he raises an obvious question. _Where_ is she?"

E: "Well... they haven't killed her _yet_ , have they?"

_Isolation_ (09:40)

A: "No, I bet they're gonna do a _lot_ worse to a good looking girl."

They all blanched at Asuka's implication. "Y-you don't _think_ -"

A: "I honestly wouldn't put it past Bando, Shinji."

R: "Hopefully ARMS have the _decency_ of not showing something like _that._ "

E: "They've certainly been rather _forthcoming_ with _other_ sexual and violent content."

Bando knocked out his fellow soldier.

K: "I honestly think he has a _death wish._ "

S: "Gee, I wonder who would win."

A: "I don't know about you, but my money's on the girl who can rip hearts out of chests."

And this abuse of fellow man continued with this woman.

E: "...Then again, _Lucy_ isn't exactly in control, at the moment."

S: "What _could_ she be hiding, honestly?"

A: "It's certainly not her _weapon_ , that's for sure."

Either way, didn't stop Bando from batting her on the head with his rifle, leaving Sato to finish her off.

K: "Well, if Lucy wasn't knocked into her from _that_."

A: "After _all_ he goes on about killing her, he just leaves it to the other dude?"

R: "I think we established well and clearly he is an _asshole_."

_Turntables_ (11:35)

As commanded, Sato went to finish the job.

S: "Even _smoking_ through it all." He muttered.

A gun fired.

R: "...Of course, I doubt _this_ is the end of it."

A: "Just as I doubt that was _Lucy's_ blood that splattered everywhere."

K: "I hope _those two_ don't have to witness this, at least."

E: "Her and..."

K: "Her puppy, as well."

A: "Oh yeah, don't wanna expose our _pets_ to violent bloodshed!"

And as Asuka thought, it wasn't _Lucy's_ blood. "Jeez _that_ went through him."

R: "Unlike _Lordgenome_ , however, I _doubt_ he has the will _or_ the organs left to keep him alive."

He managed to get _half_ a word out before falling into pieces, at least.

A: "He lasted longer than _I_ expected." She shrugged. "At least that means _Bando's_ gonna die!"

S: "I'll get the alcohol. We'll probably _need_ it after all this."

A: "Thing is, we _can_ get beer for ourselves if you want to. It's _legal_ for us!"

R: "I may refrain, myself."

K: "I doubt the effectiveness of alcohol with a Solenoid, either way."

R: "That, and I would not mind _remembering_ my vacation rather _clearly_." A small smirk.

As Lucy well and truly took control.

The smirk fell flat. "At least _some_ aspects of this vacation."

_No Hands_ (12:45)

E: "I mean, I'm sure we'd _want_ to remember seeing this asshole meet his end."

Indeed, Lucy kept up her approach, as her hands became evident.

S: "He's lucky he survived _that_."

A: "Lets hope his luck runs out soon enough."

K: "If there is such a thing as _karma_ , then he may."

R: "I suppose _that_ is what they meant by her _range_ of two metres. They are the limit of her phantom hands."

K: "Perhaps it _is_ somewhat distinct from the AT-Field, in that case. Or at least from the same _family_ of soul based power."

E: "That's if they _have_ souls, in that world."

R: "It's a scientific concept in _our_ world. It would not surprise me if it was _replicated_ , in some form."

Either way, his monologging left him open to a _boat landing in his general location._

S: "You wouldn't catch _me_ philosophising in _that_ situation."

A: "He's _still_ arrogant about this all! 'Oh yeah, let's just piss off the woman who can tear me to shreds with her invisible hands!'"

R: "We _have_ mentioned his lack of survival instinct."

A: "He's finding this _fun_ , Rei! You'd have to be _completely_ fucked in the head to find this _fun_!"

E: "He fits the criteria, at the very least."

Bando popped out from cover.

_Perforate_ (14:15)

Immediately facing the wrong end of a barrel.

K: "Well, he's boned."

Indeed, he was almost _immediately_ perforated by a barrage of bullets.

A: " _Good_. ' _Not fair_ ', he says. What an Arschloch."

S: "That was probably the _least_ bloody shooting I've seen."

The homeless girl got a front row seat to what the group only _presumed_ were the last few seconds of Bando's life before he was torn to shreds. The Latin in the background didn't help his chances, either.

R: "...A shame _she_ has to witness this."

Lucy spoke.

E: "I'm sure _some_ of us are enjoying this."

His arm was forcibly freed from his body.

A: "Perhaps."

The _other_ arm was broken soon afterwards.

Much to _everyone's_ cringe. "Why is it _that's_ more sickening than getting it _cut off_?"

K: "The _sound_ wouldn't help."

A: "Doesn't help we've _all_ had to deal with broken bones, I'm sure."

K: "Hell, my _leg_ was broken _yesterday_."

E: "You healed up rather well, if I say so myself."

K: "I can thank my _Solenoid_ for that, Eliza."

S: "I'm sure _Bando_ thinks it a shame he doesn't have one."

Upon Bando's _further_ prodding of Lucy, she prodded his _eyes_ out.

Once again, to everyone's grimace. "I mean, he _deserves_ all this, doesn't he?"

R: "Perhaps if he were to _stop_ antagonising her, she would have given him a _quick_ death."

S: "I guess there _is_ karma, in that world."

Lucy stopped enjoying it, and went for the killing blow, her hands wrapping around Bando's neck.

A: "Oh fuck off, _strangling?_ "

E: "We _know_ she is capable of more efficient methods."

S: "It's probably not even _that_."

Re: "...Can't say _we_ have good experiences with such thing."

_Realise_ (15:30)

Bando's ongoing deceasing knocked Lucy's still clenched hand.

And... she _stopped_.

Much to the bemusement of everyone. "Why'd... she _stop_?"

Her _Nyu_ indicated Lucy wasn't in control anymore.

A: "Oh COME ON! You _had him_!"

E: "I would think letting him _live_ after that was even _crueler_. I doubt he would be useful in his _solder_ work at least, lacking an arm and _eyes_."

K: "...Then again, I don't think _Nyu_ likes this aspect of her. Even _if_ Bando was horribly abusive to her."

R: "Quite the dichotomy, I would think. Nyu and Lucy are two aspects of the same person, it seems."

A: "Just like _my_ mama, eh?"

S: "I don't _think_ your mum's bloodthirsty, Asuka."

A: "Nah, Zeppelin isn't _psychotic_. At least not as much as she _was_ , according to my mama. Well, technically Zeppelin's my mama as well, isn't she?"

K: "They are two of the same person, so technically."

E: "Sounds like _you_ have two mothers as well, Asuka."

A: " _And_ a father." She chuckled. "I suppose even _outside_ us, it's become a bit of a tumbleweed."

The homeless girl and her dog found the sorry state of Bando.

R: "At least _she_ cares enough to get an ambulance for him."

E: "I wonder if she'd change her mind, if she _realised_ what he was."

_Hospital_ (17:00)

S: "Well look at that, he's waking up to an _unfamiliar ceiling_."

A: "At least he's _fine_. Can't say the same of _Bando_ , at least."

Luck may have it, the police officers found their way there.

E: "Probably not the _best_ thing to wake up too."

S: "I wonder what they _could_ trawl from his mind, after that. I know _I_ tend to still be _out of it_ after waking up in the ward."

K: "Not _too_ much, I imagine."

R: "Especially if he wished to _defend_ Nyu."

Kouta _mentioned_ this other girl.

E: "Well, I doubt he'd be able to defend her if _they_ knew."

A: "I think she can defend herself just fine."

R: "I am not sure _who_ he is describing, but it is certainly not _Nyu_."

A: "Well, if the _police_ wish to bullshit to him about what happened, _he_ should be able to as well. It's just fair turnabout, at that point."

K: "You wouldn't see _Nyu_ complain about that."

_Home_ (19:35)

S: "Well, at least he's _home_ after all this."

E: "If Nyu remembered where he lived, she could even let herself in. He forgot to lock up, after all."

A: "Lets see if you really _are_ a prophet, Eliza."

And right outside his home, was Nyu.

E: "Well, it's not _in_ his home."

K: "I'd say you were half right."

It was _now_ they realised just _what_ she was holding.

A pink shell.

A: "...That's actually kinda thoughtful of her, isn't it?"

R: "It is good _he_ is willing to forgive her. He is probably one of the few people who could _protect_ her in _some_ way."

K: "At the very least, he can offer her _shelter_."

S: "Since she has the whole _defending_ herself down, I'd think."

A: "Only when she gets knocked into _Lucy_ mode."

It cut to the melancholy of Yuka.

R: "...Rather fascinating how time changes things, I would think."

K: "It wouldn't surprise me if the Kouta of 8 years ago was _radically_ different. Even if they weren't as young as they were."

E: "Maybe it's a _good_ thing she forgot the key. Spend more time with _him_."

Kaworu chuckled. "They _do_ like each other, don't they? Perhaps not in _that_ way, but I doubt it'd turn the heads of any of _us_."

Shinji himself managed to chuckle at this remark. "Considering what's being _planned_ , after all."

Rei couldn't help but blush.

_Strange_ (21:00)

S: "Ain't _that_ an understatement."

E: "Good to see they're _still_ emphasising that."

A: "It's a good thing we've decided to take a more _laissez-faire_ attitude towards such thing, eh?"

K: "We know well it doesn't beat the _real_ thing."

Asuka snorted. "You _bet_ it doesn't!"

R: "At least we are _knowingly_ immodest. You cannot claim that of _her_ , can you?"

S: "At least not when she's _Nyu_."

A: "Even when she's _Lucy_ , I doubt she cares _too much_ about being naked or not."

K: "Though even _as_ Lucy, it's _already_ clear her relationship with Kouta has _helped_. Otherwise, Bando might've _actually_ died." Glancing between the others. "A fact which I'm sure you find tragic."

Grim laughter.

R: "And _there_ is that decision of his."

A: "The protecting of her or the _changing of her clothes_?"

E: "At least you can say he has the decency to _mind_ seeing her naked."

A: "That's something _we_ don't share, by the sounds of it."

R: "You gave us _permission_ , did you not?"

_Change of Clothes_ (21:40)

Good thing too, that allowed the men to see _Kouta's_ method of dealing with this apparent issue.

Much to their entertainment. "Man he's _really_ going out of his way, isn't he?"

A: "Sign of a good man, eh Shin-chan? At least until she has the faculties to grant _permission_ to him."

E: "From what it sounds, you lot gave _each other_ permission _long ago_."

A: "Yeah, " She scratched the back of her head, "I'd say that's accurate."

Eliza as Rei gave her an unamused look.

Which didn't get _better_ , as Kouta inadvertently reached second base. "That's the thing with not being able to see." Noted Kaworu. "You never know when you find the _airbags._ "

S: "I mean, he kinda put himself in a _Catch-22_. _Not_ see them and end up _feeling_ them, or _see_ them to avoid them."

R: "Of course, if he was able to put _decency_ behind him to actually _care_ for her." Noted Rei. "As we said, _she_ would not care too much."

This amusement only _increased_ , as it was time for the _underwear_.

At least until they noticed Nyu's... let's just say _compromising_ position.

S: "Y'know this doesn't look _good_ on you, man."

A: "It doesn't help _ARMS_ appears to be a _hentai studio!_ That's the _only_ explanation I have for the _blatant_ _porn_ in this!"

It was _here_ they concluded that the Gods/God/Pen-Pen wasn't exactly _smiling_ on Kouta this day, as Yuka chose _this exact time_ to make her entrance.

_Understandably_ , they burst out _laughing_ , even as the scene shifted. "Welp, _he's dead_." Mourned Kaworu. "And only two episodes in, at that."

R: "My point still stands. I hope _you three_ will not be as _bashful_ as he is."

S: "Thing is, _I_ was pretty much like that, wasn't I?"

A: "It's a good thing we're _assertive_ , eh Shin-chan?"

_Failure_ (22:15)

E: "And all the while, _they_ continue their own stratagem."

K: "She's doing alright at hiding quietly _so far_."

A: "It helps she has _two_ personalities. And only _one of them_ is the murderous psychopath."

R: "And the other has the mind of a stunted child."

A: "Still, _not a murderous psychopath_. And it's not like you can even _hide_ her sort of thing as well, being all _hands on_ and that."

S: "Either way, it seems they're using this _number seven_ regardless."

A: "Great, they have _more_ that can go rogue."

R: "It does not _seem_ like a genius idea, admittedly."

At least until they caught the _sight_ of number seven.

And her spoken word didn't help matters.

It was then the credits started rolling. "... _Well then_."

"How many damn superhuman slaves do they _have_?!"

"Why are they even _developing_ them if they have proven to be _deadly_?"

"With _what_ happened to Seven, I don't know _why_ they think it's a good idea to free her."

"Seven actually seems somewhat more _docile_. Which is even _more_ shameful; she does not deserve her treatment _at all_."

" _None_ of them do, Rei." Pointed out Asuka. "At least judging by what we've seen so far, I wouldn't mind seeing that _whole thing_ blow up in their faces."

"It already _has_ , in a way. And a part of me feels it will only get _worse_ on that organisation."

"Lets hope it does in a way that _doesn't_ affect innocents." Asuka thought, as the preview played out. "Thing is, yes this show is completely _full_ of fanservice and violence, but I still find it _intriguing_."

"I don't think anyone's denying _that_." Mused Kaworu. " _Already_ , there are several parallels to _our_ world."

"One of the characters even _looks_ like me." Muttered Shinji.

"At the very least, we have made it a habit to _lambast_ this fanservice."

The candle snorted. "Might as well be our _specialty_ at this point, Wondergirl."

Soon enough, the next episode started.

~~~

### 2.3: Deep Feelings ~ Im Innersten

"Hey Kaworu?" Queried Asuka, at yet _another_ opening of egregious fanservice. "Can you interpret this Latin for us?"

"It would give you something to do _other_ than staring at her breasts, at least." Prodded Rei.

To his huff. "There are _obvious_ Biblical references to this, at least to those who _understand_ it. _The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue speaks judgement_."

And so he continued translating, as the words came in.

"...Well, you're right with the _Biblical_ aspect of it all, Kaworu."

"Not the _first_ time a work decided to take from the Bible, it seems."

_Compromising Position_ (01:30)

S: "Y'know, it's a bit of a leap, going from _Biblical themes_ to _where we left Kouta off_."

K: "Oh, I guess we get to _see_ him die."

R: "Let us hope Yuka makes it _quick_ on him."

E: "Or that she believes his explanation. Which, admittedly, she has no reason _not_ to."

A: "I mean, he could at least _not_ leave her _lying naked on the floor_."

R: "I doubt _she_ is going anywhere, after all."

Upon not remembering a particular festival, he was _slapped_.

A: "I mean, I probably would've slapped him as soon as I saw Nyu _naked_."

S: "I don't think she even _minds_ that. At least, I don't _think_."

E: "I think she _does_."

Indeed, Yuka ran off, not after calling Kouta a jerk a few more times for good measure.

S: "...Huh."

R: "Perhaps she has taken this as a _sleight_ against her."

A: "I mean, they _are_ cousins. He probably doesn't _think_ about her in that way."

K: "Doesn't change _her_ actions."

Asuka shrugged. "In _his_ defence, women _can_ be hard to understand _unless_ you're a woman. _I_ certainly know that; took Shinji and I a bit before we started understanding one another."

R: "I imagine the _relationship_ has something to do with it, as well. It appears to _me_ , at least, that they have not been _close_ for a while. Unlike, say, _us_."

A: "Plus, I'd at least _knock_ on the door before coming in, give you _some_ time to at least cover up a bit."

R: "Not that you would even _mind_ seeing I and whoever I was with like that."

A: "Yeah, you're right."

_Nana_ (03:00)

E: "She seems surprisingly _appreciative_ of him."

R: "I doubt she believes it was _him_ doing whatever experiments were happening."

A: "What, she believes he _rescues_ her? And then the very next day, she's back strapped _naked in chains_ and _bleeding_?"

Nana was _unchained_.

K: "It wouldn't surprise me if _she_ believes that."

S: "It'd probably be _trivial_ for them to get them thinking a certain way."

A: "Great, should I just add _mind break_ to the list of fetishes I'm compiling in my mind?"

The title card helped distract her. "I _suppose_ _Im Innersten_ could refer to inside feelings."

"There would be a _lot_ of that, I imagine."

~

_The Melancholy of Yuka_ (03:25)

Asuka huffed. "Thing is, this _is_ a misunderstanding from her, ain't it?"

S: "I _can_ see how she might _think_ that, at least."

E: "Might just be me, but walking in on the _both_ of them as he is _stripping her naked_ would probably send the wrong message to most people."

Yet another flashback to a more carefree childhood.

R: " _He_ was certainly rather blatant, as a child."

A: "Then again, I think it's a thing that children _lack_ the decorum in responses like that. Just look at how _Ai_ was like in Bond's work."

K: "Then again, that could have been her surroundings influencing her."

E: "What is it they're doing, anyway?"

S: "A festival game." A small smile. "You carve out something; the goal is to carve it out _without_ breaking it."

E: "Huh. Sounds basic, but fun."

R: "It _is_ for children, mainly."

K: "But it was _during_ this childhood that she _codified_ this."

S: "...Y'know something? I _can_ understand _why_ she seemed angry at him."

A: "Odds are, he doesn't even _remember_ this. Betcha Kouta simply remembered this as just another festival of halcyon days; _nothing_ significance or anything like that."

R: "It does not help he _said_ he would remember."

Indeed, the tears started flowing.

R: "...It certainly does not help _her_."

S: "I mean... I know _I_ certainly need some prodding to remember a few things."

Asuka sighed. "Perhaps it would've done her some good to remind him a bit more."

_Whatever You Want_ (04:55)

E: "As if we need _more_ confirmation Nana lives a horrible life."

S: "And yet she's _still_ all too eager to see _him_."

R: "Needless to say, _Kuruma_ should be the subject of our ire."

A: "At least _Commander Asshole_ didn't chain you naked to your Evangelion, Rei."

She huffed. "I suppose it _can_ be a lot worse."

K: "What _does_ he expect of her? For her to be a _murdering machine_?"

R: "Even _with_ that, I am surprised she has been able to keep her _mind_ intact. Such wanton violence would _not_ help the mental states."

S: "It's clear he _manipulated_ it that way, eh?"

E: "The preexisting _obedience_ she shows wouldn't help _her_ case, at least in _this_ situation."

Kaworu grunted, at the _truth_ of his previous statement. "At least she isn't willing to kill _others_."

R: "We have a _name_ for her kind now. _Diclonius_."

Kaworu ran through his mind. "Diclonius... I believe they were a type of _dinosaur_?"

A: "She really _is_ Zero Two!"

Shinji was able to chuckle at this, at least. "At least Nana's getting _some_ kind of freedom."

R: "Perhaps _she_ may not want to return from this, as well."

A: "It'd be a bit confusing to _separate the two_ , I'd think."

E: "Their _hair lengths_ differ, at the very least."

_Morning_ (07:00)

R: "Could _this_ be similar to Hiro and Zero Two, as well?"

E: "In what way?"

A: "Was that related to the _tumour_ he got or something? From piloting with her."

E: "He _WHAT?!_ "

They chuckled, "You _still_ haven't seen it, Eliza?"

Rei!Eliza shook her head.

S: "Well, you'll have to wait a bit _now_ , I imagine."

Eliza as Rei huffed.

R: "Either way. I do not think she could _help_ him."

K: "She wouldn't _understand_ what many words were. Her education is not up to spec, to say the least."

A: "She can't even manage her own bodily functions!"

R: "Needless to say, probably the _worst_ time for a fever."

S: "It'd be like when you have to deal with a _young child_. Can't exactly take a break until they fall asleep, eh?"

E: "Something _you lot_ get to look forward to, I imagine."

A titter from the candle. "Oh I _know_ _we'll_ have to deal with that, when we have children."

S: "It takes a village, and all that."

R: "You can count on _us_ helping out." A warm smile.

K: "We'll most likely need it as well. We're just about as clueless as _you_ would be."

A: "I imagine Rei being _Lilith_ would help your case. Though I thought you were _sterile,_ Kaworu, no offence."

He smirked. "Let's just say, _Lilith_ took care of that."

It didn't take much for a _grin_ to grow on Asuka's face. "And you two obviously haven't told _anyone_ about this."

R: "No need to, I feel. We are still as careful as _you two_ are; I made it a habit even _with_ Kaworu's previous status."

E: "Keeps Misato off the both of your backs as well, I imagine."

S: "Even though she'll _claim_ you two were under the same agreement."

R: "I can hold off until I am twenty legally." A small smirk.

It was only now they glanced back to the TV, as Nyu was holding a slipper in front of Kouta.

Kaworu chuckled. "Can't deny she has _spirit_ , at least."

E: "Maybe if you guys didn't get _distracted_." Rolling her eye.

_Mizu_ (08:10)

S: "At least _she_ can help him." A small smile.

A: "Was that a bit of _tsun_ I heard in her voice?"

R: "Understandable, given what happened."

K: "At least _now_ , she has a chance on helping him _remember_."

E: "Instead of just suffering in silence."

A: "Not the _best_ thing to do, eh? _I_ certainly don't want to go back to that."

They chuckled, at the sheer amount of _stuff_ surrounding the bed bound Kouta. " _One_ of those things is water, at least."

K: "He's _admitting_ he doesn't remember the festival, at least."

S: "Maybe she'll see it as an _apology_."

R: "Seems it really _was_ eight years since they last saw one another. Such time apart _would_ cause misunderstanding, I imagine."

A: "I don't even know _how_ I could spend that long apart from someone I like."

E: "They _are_ cousins. They have separate families; perhaps their situations were just different for that long."

K: "That tends to be the explanation for such thing." A huff. "I suppose, at least, _we_ don't have to worry about such thing."

A: "Well, I know _neither_ of us would mind sticking around with you guys, eh?"

S: "Yeah." A small smile. "We... _are_ rather close, after all."

This good mood was bought down some when they realised just _why_ they were separate for that long. "...Appears it was not _just_ his sister."

K: "It... would _explain_ it, at the very least."

E: "Is she remembering this _differently_? That... doesn't seem to match _his_ recollection."

A: "He's the protagonist, of _course_ he's had something fucky happen to him."

S: "Feels like that for _me_ , that's for sure."

R: "Then again... such trauma would not help him _remember_. As she said."

K: "...Hopefully she sticks around, then. Gods know he could _use_ it."

_The..._ you know (10:10)

As soon as the men in the room heard a particular word starting with _C_ , they _recoiled._

A: "Oh _and_ he's getting gelded! Looks like _my_ day's getting even _better_!"

E: "Do I _want_ to know what this is referring to?"

R: "They are a part of a male's sexual organs. They make the sperm that are required to form life."

E: "...Huh. I was expecting you would be a lot more _vulgar_ with that explanation." Eliza offered a _flat_ look to Kaworu. "I suppose I'll be getting _acquainted_ with them soon enough."

K: "I'm sure you can dive into Rei if you do not _wish_ to. Unless you are _curious._ "

R: "She can watch on if she wants to." Rei chuckled.

E: "I appreciate the offer, but my point still stands."

S: "...Perhaps they'll _explain_ it?"

A: "I mean, not like he's gonna _use_ them, not in _his_ state. He can't even use his _hands_ on it anymore."

R: "He does not _have_ hands anymore."

K: "And I doubt _any_ woman would find him pleasant."

Kuruma offered a short explanation _why._

S: "I mean, I _still_ don't see how getting them _lopped off_ would help _save the world_."

K: "I prefer the Evangelion, honestly."

Bando (somewhat justifiably) didn't _take_ this explanation, so Kuruma thought to explain further.

E: "Much like the AT-Field, the _vectors_ are _intrinsic_ to a Diclonius."

R: "Perhaps the _protrusions_ have something to do with this."

A: "So they're practically _antennae_?"

Rei chuckled. "Perhaps."

They continued listening in as to _why_ Bando needed his testicles removed.

S: "I mean, I can _see_ the reasoning."

K: "Indeed, _he_ would be infected with this gene now. Perhaps _that_ is why they wish to geld him."

R: "We already know _Asuka_ would not complain about it."

E: "So it's not _just_ their propensity for horrific murder."

A: "I mean, that'd be _enough_ for _most_ people to want to stop someone."

_Wake_ (12:50)

A: "Can't say it bodes well for _his_."

The boys in the room _really_ didn't want to think about such thing anymore.

Rei picked up on it, at least. "It seems she _has_ changed her mind."

K: "Looks like Nyu _finally_ has clothes on."

E: "Quite a change, I'd think."

S: "I'd say he's _justified_ in not calling the police."

A: "Considering _what_ would happen to those poor police if he did."

Yuka explained her plan.

S: "I mean, he _could_ use the help with her, I imagine."

R: "She does not hold the same reservations on seeing her naked, at the very least."

A: "She's _never_ held those reservations; she _bathed_ her in the first episode."

K: "I'm sure _she_ wouldn't mind being the Yin to his Yang, either way."

R: "Living together, practically _raising_ Nyu together."

S: "I'm sure _Toji_ would point out they're acting like _husband and wife_."

E: "Even though I'm sure there are _laws_ preventing such thing between _relatives_."

Asuka shrugged. "I'll just add _that_ to the list, as well."

_Helicopter_ (14:00)

S: "Oh wow, _she's_ in clothing as well."

R: "And rather _modest_ , at that. Change the colour, and it may be what _I_ wear out in public."

A: "Then again, I _know_ you two _like_ not wearing anything normally."

Rei smirked. "I imagine _you_ won't be complaining about such thing, come _our_ night."

A: "Eheh, you bet. I guess this means _I_ don't have to be too modest in the morning."

E: "I doubt Shinji _or_ Kaworu would complain."

Kaworu chuckled at this. "Nana certainly doesn't _ask_ for much."

A: "A damn _headpat_ is probably the most affection she's _ever_ gotten in her sad life."

S: "I thought it was _animals_ that got pats like that."

R: "They _already_ treat her like a dog in other aspects."

E: "Not that _she_ seems to care too much."

K: "Though I can't help but wonder, what _could_ she ask of him?"

A: "That he'd even _give_ her. She certainly can't get _freedom_ from her hell, and she's _already_ asked for a _headpat_."

R: "Whatever it is, it seems Kuruma was _willing_ to give her that."

S: "Hopefully she can _survive_ Lucy." He thought. "She of all people doesn't _deserve_ that."

A: "So did Kitsuragi, didn't stop Lucy from parting her head from her shoulders."

_Housework_ (15:00)

A: "Pfft, _slave driver's_ a bit harsh."

R: "It was _expected_ of him, after all."

S: "Better than paying _rent_ , that's for sure." He shrugged. "Though admittedly, it might take a while to _clean_ such a house."

E: "Do floors like that _really_ get dirty that quickly?"

Asuka shrugged. "Actually _mopping_ the floors are _monthly_ ; usually we just vacuum the floor every few days or so, eh Shin-chan?"

A nod in agreement. "Wood floors and tiles are alright to clean, tatami mats we air out on the balcony. _Carpets_ need a bit more upkeep though."

A: "A good thing we only have carpeting in our bedrooms, eh? And I suppose as long as you don't end up _staining_ them, you can get away with a good vacuum for a bit."

S: "That's definitely what _we_ tend to do."

K: "Maybe she _is_ a slave driver, then." He wryly remarked. "I doubt those floors would get too dirty in the _day_ or so since he last cleaned them."

They snickered at how Yuka seemed to suddenly appear behind him. "I wonder how much she heard."

S: "Enough to compromise the integrity of his skeleton, I'm sure."

As Yuka went to get a cleaning rag, Kouta made the most of his time alone by inadvertently ramming his shoulder into Nyu's breast.

A: "Well, if his skeleton wasn't compromised _before_."

R: "I see he is making it a _habit_. Though fair enough on _him_ , it was not intended _at all._ "

E: "I don't think _any_ of it is intended. He just somehow bumbles his way into being a _pervert_."

S: "Can't say _I_ wasn't immune to such thing."

The rather _softer_ Nyus of Nyu prompted them to turn back to the screen. "Well look at that, he got to second base _consensually_."

K: "I wonder if Yuka will see it as that."

E: "As if this couldn't get _more_ perverted."

A: "Hey, at least it's _intended_ this time around. I _still_ don't know whether she's in _any_ right mind for it."

R: "Then again, if someone _wants_ you to touch them like that."

A: "I certainly don't see _Shinji_ turning down an opportunity for such thing." As if to show off, she _bounced_ a bit.

S: "I'm sure _Toji_ would say I'd have to turn in my man card if I _declined_ such thing." He deadpanned.

And of course, Yuka appeared.

K: "At least _she's_ seeing it's _Nyu_ starting this."

A slap rung through the room.

Kaworu's face fell flat. "Not that it _changed_ her reaction."

A: "And then she just goes leaves them alone." She bemused.

S: "I bet she's gonna arrive just in time to see him _appear_ to do something _extremely perverted_."

E: "Ah, you're starting to see the pattern as well."

_Umbrella_ (17:05)

K: "And now _they_ get to meet." A small smile.

R: "I wonder if he find out she's _homeless_ , if he will take her in."

A: "And then Yuka arrives and he has to explain why he suddenly has a small harem." She muttered.

E: "She's not great at believing he could _not_ be perverted."

A: "I mean, he is a _man_. We tend to think they're _always_ perverted."

S: "At least in _our_ case, you can say _everyone_ here's perverted."

A: "You know I've always been an advocate for gender equality." She poked her tongue out.

K: "And indeed, _she_ may know more about what he saw."

E: "Do we have a _name_ for her, yet?"

Shrugging all around. "I don't believe it has been mentioned."

Yuka arrived home, seeing the homeless girl's puppy tied outside the door.

A: "Why didn't they let the puppy in?"

S: "And get Kouta to clean up _more_ puddles?"

R: "It would not surprise me if your predi-"

She couldn't even finish her line before they caught Yuka's reaction.

Asuka was like the cat that ate the canary. "Knew it."

K: "At least _this time around_ , he was able to _explain_ what was going on."

E: "It helps it didn't look like anything _sexual_ was going on."

_Box_ (18:10)

A: "So what're the chances she does to the box what she did to the shell?"

K: "I would _think_ she have learned _not_ to break things, at this point."

E: "She's off to a good start, at the very least."

Kouta bashed the table.

S: "I reckon _he_ wants to break stuff."

R: "Not _unsurprising_ , given what happened."

A: "Looks like he was _right_ to not trust the police."

S: "Not exactly a _good_ message."

E: "I don't think this show _cares_ about sending a good message."

Nyu slipped.

S: "Well, at least she was _clothed_."

A: "You know what happened the _last_ time she hit her head, right?"

3... 2... 1... " _Oh._ Well _shit_."

K: "I suppose _someone_ had to die this episode." He muttered.

To their utter surprise, Kouta _didn't_ die.

Eliza made a curious hum.  "Suggesting they go back some."

A: "Which I don't know _how_ they would've known one another _before_."

R: "That... is why we are _watching_ this, no?"

Asuka snorted. "Fair point."

K: "At the very least, this flashback prevented their deaths."

Eliza made _another_ hum, this time sounding like an error chord. ~"He talked about how his dad and sister were killed. Could _this_ be why?"

If they were in Japan, the sudden silence would've been filled with the chirping of cicadas.

R: "...Not the _best_ childhood relationship, I would think."

A: "It'd explain _why_ there's different stories, I guess. Sounds to _me_ like they were _sloppy_."

E: "That wasn't evident by the fact they let Lucy escape in the first place? If that could even happen, there's obviously _flaws_ in what they do."

S: "Then again, not even _NERV_ is immune to these flaws." He duly noted.

E: "It's why I'm even _here_ , after all."

A: "Gotta make mistakes in life, Eliza. God knows _we_ know that."

_Dog_ (20:00)

Lucy started eying the dog.

A: "Oh no no no, don't you _dare_ touch that dog!"

Too late.

The Playstation controller violently bounced off the table. "Oh _fuck you_ , Lucy!"

R: "And right after she _says_ he's her friend."

E: "Is she just _another_ person in this who does nothing but suffer?"

S: "...Sure _seems_ like that, at this rate."

A: "Oh but at least we know her _name_ now!" She wryly exclaimed. "Not her _address_ ; she doesn't _have_ one!"

K: "May _u_." He thought. "That would be the _second_ character with a similar enough name."

E: "They don't look _too_ similar, at least."

Mayu began calling out for her dog.

R: "I suppose we know the _dog's_ name, as well."

S: "...She didn't _see_ it, at least."

K: "I would say that was for the best."

But the dog came back.

A: "Wait it _didn't_ die?"

E: "I would _apologise_ to that controller, if I were you." A dry stipulation from the computer.

A: "Yeah yeah, I probably shouldn't abuse the glorified computer while _you're_ around." As she retrieved the controller from the wooden floor. "They're kinda _designed_ to be thrown around though; kids use them, after all."

R: "But... that raises a question. What _did_ Lucy do?"

Shrugging all around. "Maybe it really _was_ as innocent as freeing them from being tied up."

_Late_ (21:30)

S: "Of course, it isn't _Nyu_ in control, at the moment."

E: "I suppose if _anyone_ could face her and not get their head torn off, it's _him_."

R: "Or a dog."

A: "Animals are pretty much _innocent_ in all this shit. At least _Lucy_ seems to understand this."

K: "There are not many animals that _truly_ show understanding of the world around them. Sentience and _sapience_ are the prerequisites to which an entity can be judged by their actions."

R: "Which may mean _Pen-Pen_ was fair game."

A: "Not like _God_ would give a damn, I'm sure."

K: "Technically speaking. God issued his laws to _humanity_ ; animals cannot sin. Of course, God never accounted for the loopholes that originate when _humans_ create super-intelligent animals _such_ as Pen-Pen."

S: "It'd probably fall under the same net as _playing_ God, I'd think."

K: "In all likelihood."

E: "And she _still_ focuses on him not remembering that?"

Whatever conversation was _about_ to start from Eliza's remark was cut short when Yuka mentioned _fondling_.

A: "I think she's focusing on a lot _more_ , Eliza."

_Favour_ (22:20)

S: "That's... kinda adorable, admittedly."

K: "It wouldn't have taken him much to _offer_ her that. And I'm sure _he_ knows how important it is to maintain the _pretence_ of a loving relationship with her."

A: "It's how he's _controlling_ her, after all!"

R: "Keeps her somewhat _camouflaged_ , as well."

E: "I wouldn't think _too_ well. How many people out there are pink haired with horns?"

Kaworu shrugged. "Perhaps they'll just think her a delinquent."

R: "I certainly know _we_ sometimes get stares like that, with our hair colours."

A: "Shit, _I_ get gawked at. Though I never know if they think I'm a delinquent or if they're _gawking_ at me for being half- _gaijin_. It's probably not much better for _Hiro_ and _Zero Two_ as well."

K: "Having visible horns attracts attention. Go figure."

E: " _She_ knows that, at least."

~

The credits rolled.

"Of course, I doubt _Lucy's_ gonna go quietly."

"Oh God no." Asuka replied to Shinji. "I'm surprised this episode didn't end with Nana's head getting torn off."

"Though speaking of, I don't believe _anyone_ died this episode." Noted the computer.  "Even _with_ the limited dataset I have, I'd consider that an outlier."

"Even the _fanservice_ appeared limited." Noted the fish. "Excluding credits and the _opening_ , which was repeated from the _previous_ episode."

"Of course _you_ noticed that, Kaworu."

He smirked at Rei's wry remark.

This smirk lasted until the preview started. "Well, I suppose we don't have to wait _too long_ to see death again."

While that would've been a nice thought, the DVD started cycling through various copyright warnings in seemingly hundreds of different languages. "...Oh. Well _that's_ a bit disappointing."

"Three episodes, four discs. Twelve episodes in all, by my count."

"It gives us something to do for the next three days, at the very least." Mused Rei, taking out her phone to look at the time. "It is not late _yet_."

"Depends if _jet lag_ comes for us."

"Considering it would be _one in the morning_ right about now." Thought Kaworu.

"It's gonna take me a couple hours to cook up the Rouladen." Shinji remarked, as he got up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen. "Can you guys stay up?"

"I'm not gonna go to bed _without_ a feed, Shin-chan!"

A small smile. "I'll get started, then."

Shinji soon got to work on pounding out the chuck for him and Asuka, and the tofu for Rei and Kaworu. "I still find it fascinating _how_ he came up with a meatless version."

"Cooking is an exercise in imagination, Kaworu." Philosophised Rei. "Not that _we_ should complain. And I'm sure _you_ are not complaining about that as well, Asuka."

The candle giggled, as she was taking the DVD out of the PS2, swapping it out with the _demo disc_. "Means more meat for _me_."

"I'm sure we _all_ know well how you like _meat_."

Asuka barked a laugh. "If you mean _that_ kind of meat, that's something _she_ likes as well."

Rei couldn't help but blush.

"Now, " As she flopped onto the couch, controller in hand, nestling in-between Rei and Kaworu. "I'm kinda interested to see how this plays _games_."

"It was released in the same generation as the _Dreamcast_. After the strong performance of the _original_ Playstation, it might have done well in a world where Second Impact didn't happen." Rei thought, subtly squeezing in closer to Asuka.

"Needless to say, I'm sure we will take this console _home_ with us."

"Oh you bet, Kaworu! Even just for the fact it's an actual _DVD_ _player_ ; we wouldn't have to rely on that damn computer of Kensuke's anymore!"

"Perhaps we can see this _Yabasic_ as well."

She chuckled. "Ah, you _are_ interested in being able to program a game's console, Eliza!" Nudging Rei/Eliza's arm. "Well, I'm sure when it's _your turns_ , it'll give you ample time."

"Good to hear _I_ get to play this as well."

"But of _course_ , Kaworu." She smirked. "And I'm sure _Shinji_ will want to mess with this during the times he's _not_ cooking. I _assume_ these demos are timed or something; we'll just swap whenever one of these games finishes."

Kaworu shrugged. "Works for me."

From the kitchenette, Shinji couldn't help but smile.

* * *

## 3\. The Nights

There was a small knock on the door before it cracked a bit open. "...Are you up, big brother?"

Tomoe grunted, as he prompted Yui into his office. "Couldn't sleep, I gather?"

"Yeah... that's accurate."

"And I take it you didn't want to disturb your bird too much."

A slight glance away, as the sister leaned on the wall. "...Yeah."

He huffed. "Even though I'm _sure_ she wouldn't mind."

"Oh I... she could at least get _some_ sleep." A sigh. "She's... already done a _lot_ for me, Tom."

"Mhm, I noticed." A long sigh, as he dropped his reading glasses and his pen onto the desk. "It's all a bunch of shit, ain't it. _Just like him_ to cark it as soon as you come to visit."

She couldn't help but give a grim chuckle. "He's always been an ass like that." Muttering. "So much for _not_ speaking ill of the dead."

"With _how_ he treated you, I'm gonna speak as much ill as I _can_ about him."

A small spot of silence between the siblings.

"...Good to see you're just as protective of me as when we were younger."

Once more, his mind wandered to halcyon days. "It all seemed much simpler back then, eh?"

"And that's coming from _you_ , as well."

He offered a nod. "You make _my_ life seem kinda _boring_ in comparison." Wryly remarking. "Though I think I understand why you couldn't sleep."

"Our father kicking it seemingly as soon as I got done talking with him? Yeah, that _does_ weigh on the mind some, even _with_ our relationship. Though..." She too sighed. "It's not _just_ that."

"...Aye. Sounds like _whatever_ the hell happened over there, it was pretty _serious_. Not like the _news_ has said anything about it, though."

"They rarely do. My _son's_ fine, at least." Quietly sighing. "Hell, the Commander let them go on vacation while they _deal_ with things."

The uncle in him seemed curious at this. "I doubt they're coming to visit _us_."

"Nah, they're in _Germany_. Still protected by NERV, mind you. But... it'd give them _some_ isolation from it all."

A few nods in acknowledgement. "Seems like _you_ appreciate that distance from NERV as well. At least, at the moment."

"Honestly? We _all_ needed a vacation from that place." A huff. "Makes sense _they_ get a small break, as well."

Shifting in his chair, now facing towards her. "I... take it you're staying here for a bit, then."

"Well... yeah. If you'll have us, of course." Softly thinking. "We _were_ thinking about just driving randomly across Japan, see where that damned car of mine can take us... I guess _that's_ down the drain now. At least until we get _this_ sorted."

"You know my home's _always_ open to you, Yui." He offered a warm smile, that of brotherly love. "I know _Annette_ wouldn't complain about you sticking around."

Yui seemed to contemplate this. "...Y'know, I never really thought of _actually_ retiring from NERV. Though..."

"A tempting thought, eh?"

"...Yeah. It's a nice place, here."

"I certainly think so." Warmly declaring, as he sorted through some papers. "Just far enough from Okayama to have some of that quiet rural feeling, close enough that it can still benefit from the services a city provides."

"Though I'm not sure what kind of _jobs_ there'd be here, if we were to _actually_ live down here. Not like my CV has been updated for a while. And... I'm sure the existence of my _death certificate_ would draw a few questions."

Snorting. "I'm sure _NERV_ could help you out."

"...Well _yeah_ , they can pretty much skirt around the law."

Guffawing. "As long as it _advantages_ you, I suppose I can glance the other way."

The two shared a laugh.

Before Yui sighed. "...Thanks, Tom."

He huffed. "You know I'd always h-"

His words were cut short by her arms, wrapping around him. "I... really do appreciate it."

"Ah... it's alright, sis." He couldn't help but smile, nostalgia prompting him to nuzzle her arm. "...Usually it was _me_ doing the hugs, eh?"

"I started them as much as you did, Tom."

"Heh... yeah."

A small sigh, as she disengaged. "I hope the rest of the night is kind on you, Yui."

"Likewise..." Softly murmuring, as she quietly made her exit. "G'night, bro."

"Night, sis."

The door shut.

Yui couldn't help but keep a small smile on her face, as she returned to the bedroom she shared with her paramour, dressing down from her passably modest nightwear to match.

She slid behind her, nestling towards the warmth of the candle's back.

"...Ah. Sie kehrt zurück."

("...Ah. She returns.")

"Did I wake you up?"

"Perhaps. Though... it sounded like you didn't sleep well anyway."

"Can't say it was. But... I didn't want to disturb you or anything." Softly murmuring.

Kyoko turned herself, now facing towards her new other, the light of the full moon providing ample illumination for her to gently run a hand through Yui's hair.

"Yeah... I know."

Kyoko seemed chuffed at this pre-emption. "I'm here for you, Yui."

A small moment of quiet, between the two.

Before Yui wrapped her arms around her and drew herself closer, further seeking the warmth of this candle.

"Thatta girl..." Murmuring, her own hand resting on the back of Yui's head. "...it's fine if you feel this way, Yui. I understand completely."

"... _Damn_ that man."

"Shh..." As her hand ran through Yui's hair. "Now's... now's not the time to trouble yourself with those thoughts, mein Schatz." Her eyes went wide, at how the endearment slipped out. "C-can I call you that, already?"

"I... don't mind." Softly remarking. She thought herself lucky her face was now somewhat obscured, otherwise Kyoko might've seen the blush that sprung up. "...you're the first person outside of Gendo to call me that. Or at least along the lines of that."

Kyoko couldn't help but smile. "...Rest, mein Schatz. I'm... I'm here for you."

The candle continued running her hand over her fragile sweetheart, a gentle comfort.

Eventually, Yui fell into quiet slumber.

Lord knows if it was restful _inside_ her mind, but Kyoko couldn't delve that deep, unfortunately.

...Though she still kissed her on the head, for good measure. Before settling down herself, keeping her other close.

_'That was deliberate, wasn't it?'_

_'Sie braucht Trost, nicht wahr?'_

_('She needs comfort, does she not?')_

A quiet huff. _'...Looks like you_ are _getting more empathetic, Zep.'_

Sleep soon came for the both of them.

~

On the demo disc that was provided with the Playstation 2, there was plenty for the tumbleweed to trawl through and test out. In some ways, it rather _fascinated_ them; seeing just how _good_ things could've ended up, had things gone a bit less Second Impacty.

_FIFA 2001_ was... well, it was _soccer_. Or _football_ , as Asuka insisted, whenever the subject was bought up. Just like practically _every_ soccer game they played on Rei's Dreamcast or Hikari's Saturn, albeit with a European twist.

...As one would _expect_ , coming from a _European_ demo. Either way, it served as a good ten minutes or so of amusement for them, even _if_ half the group couldn't get used to the controls.

_SSX Snowboarding_ was a _bit_ more amusing; at least it was more an _extreme_ sport compared to something like _soccer_. They certainly couldn't deny it _looked_ more stunning than most of the games they played. And seeing it releasing in October 2000 only served to double their amusement.

Rei managed to stun the tumbleweed by not only finishing the demo in _first_ , but seemingly doing as many tricks as she could and racking up a rather respectable high score.

To which she simply grinned. "I _do_ have experience with games like these."

Now _Wild Wild Racing_ was more Asuka's thing, then again she tended to prefer those sorts of fast paced games. Wasn't exactly the most _graphical_ game; it looked like they poured brown paint over the world and called it post-apocalyptic, but they knew well it was _gameplay_ that mattered. And hey, who _wouldn't_ want to go all Mad Max in a rusty, off-roader Beetle?

The various videos and what Asuka termed a 'psychedelic screensaver' helped burn another 15 or so minutes. And then it was to _Yabasic_. Being a programming environment, they were right to think Eliza might've been rather _intrigued_ by such thing.

And indeed, she _was_.

Even _if_ she had a veritable _shopping list_ of gripes with the IDE.  "What's the use of peeking and poking if it won't allow you to view the memory of the _console_?"

"They are not just going to _let_ you reprogram the console to your own liking, Eliza." Thought Rei, herself somewhat versed with the concept. "Even having something like _this_ is astonishing enough, limited it is."

"Then again, I'm pretty sure they were always rather _reasonable_ when it came to independent development." Pondered Kaworu. "Was it Net Yaroze, they called it?"

"Indeed. _Yaroze_. An apt name, it allowed _anyone_ to develop their own games for the original Playstation."

"See, something like _that_ would've been nice. At least _then_ , I could use a _terminal_ of some sort to program."

"A shame they didn't think to give us a keyboard." Asuka dryly noted. "I wonder if you could get _Unix_ running on that little thing."

"That would've _also_ been pretty nice. At least _then_ , it'd be close to a native environment for _me_."

"Maybe you can _prod_ at this thing, see if you can get _full_ control of that thing."

Eliza huffed. "I could certainly _try_."

"Dinner's ready!" Shinji called from the kitchen.

Lighting up Asuka's face. "Looks like you'll have to wait a bit, Eliza."

"I'm patient, Asuka. Plus, _food's_ pretty good, if I say so myself."

~

Dinner done and dusted, the tumbleweed soon retired to their rooms. In their _regular_ pairings, being the first night in they schedule they agreed to.

Asuka stretched, rather _deliberately_ showing off to her partner for the night, sitting at the end of the double bed. Shinji had already made himself comfortable, while the candle was busy freshening herself up. "Ahh, that really _was_ nice, Shinji."

Much to his blush. "...That's only the third time you said it."

"You want me to say it _more_ , eh?" She prowled up from the foot of the bed, letting her remarkably _immodest_ self get nice and close.

"...Perhaps."

"Well, I'm sure I have my ways of giving _complements to the chef_ ~" A sultry trill.

~

Whatever complements they were, Rei and Kaworu picked up on it. " _They're_ getting started early." The fish dryly commented upon hearing their _symphony_ , currently in the midst of folding his clothing. "I thought we were trying to reset our body clocks."

"Might as well be _secondary_ , at this point." _Eliza_ muttered.

Kaworu craned around, and was rather surprised to see Eliza as Rei _continuing_ Rei's general propensity for... _immodesty_. "Must say, didn't expect that from _you_ , Eliza."

"She trusts you. _I_ have no reason _not_ to trust you." A small smile.  "Plus, judging by synchronising with her, you and her fit well together."

It took all of two seconds for Kaworu to break into laughter. "No _wonder_ Ritsuko believes we corrupted you."

"And it's only going to get worse from there." Wryly noted Eliza, as Kaworu slid into the bed. Keeping his hands off for now, which she appreciated some.  "I've been exposed to your _snuggling_ ; it was only a matter of time before I get exposed to your _carnal_ _relations_."

"Does that not disconcert you, Eliza?"

"As I said, I have no reason _not_ to trust you. _Anyone_ who Rei trusts, in fact." A glance elsewhere.  "I can't deny my _curiosity_ at such thing, as well."

"Oh? I thought you didn't _think_ much of it."

Eliza as Rei shrugged.  "Computers don't exactly _have_ sex, Kaworu. Never thought much of it, at least _before_ I found myself within Rei."

"You've only been in there for a couple days, at this point."

"You of all people would _know_ what she thinks, Kaworu."

"Heh. Touché."

A small spot of silence, Eliza's grey eye glancing towards the fish, still keeping a close but hands off distance from their figure.

"Treat my sis well, Kaworu."

"I will. Don't you worry, Eliza."

A slight smirk.

A few seconds passed, before Kaworu was gently wrapped up in pale arms. "Me again." Rei softly remarked, before giggling.

Especially as Kaworu started _holding her_. "It seems she _approves_ of our relationship."

"She approves of _you_ , as well." A small smile. "Hopefully you do not mind having a small _audience_."

"I could say the same for _you_ , as well, Rei."

A light flickered within him, to which he offered more of his warmth.

The warmth only _increased_ as time went on.

~

Carmen creeped up to the townhouse in her Audi roadster, the hybrid system coming in handy in keeping the sound down.

And the lights were already out, despite it being eight in the evening; barely a couple hours from sundown. "Ah, vielleicht schauen sie sich diese _DVDs_ noch an."

("Ah, maybe they're still watching those _DVDs_.")

She wanted to check in on them, see how they were doing. Make sure the lodgings were to their liking. The microphones went dead not 30 seconds after they moved in; maybe they should've _expected_ Nephilim could ensure privacy but oh well.

And just as she was about to knock on the door, her ears caught onto rather... _noticeable_ noises.

Lets just say it was a good thing no one else was living around this townhouse. "...Heh. Schätze, sie _sind_ Teenager."

("...Heh. I suppose they _are_ teenagers.")

Her check-in could wait for tomorrow.

~

Asuka curled around Shinji, resting her head on his chest. "...Heh. And to think, _tomorrow_ you'll get to do this with _Kaworu_."

His hand drifted slowly across her back, giving a slightly breathless chuckle. "It's... certainly _exciting_. Can't deny _that_."

Before yet _another_ laugh. "Y'know, Asuka. I _should_ probably be _surprised_ with how... _willing_ we all are to do this."

A slight titter. "Well, we all love each other. _That_ certainly helps."

"Or at the very least, are very _close_ with."

"Well, Kaworu _has_ saved my life countless times before. If _that_ doesn't deserve my affection. Considering such thing helped _kickstart_ my affection for _you_."

She glanced upward, a slight smile on her. "That counts for you and Rei, as well."

He couldn't help but smile. "Even _with_ our... status?"

"Didn't _Ritsuko herself_ say she probably wouldn't pay much mind to it?"

His mind rolled back to one of their many reads. "...Touché."

Asuka poked her tongue.

"Though, you're right... we _do_ love one another, don't we?"

"And us loving them and them loving us does not diminish _our_ love for one another, does it?"

"Of _course_ it doesn't."

A small titter. "More people to love and love you isn't really a bad thing, eh?"

Shinji could agree with that, as he settled onto the pillow, Asuka already settling into _her_ favourite pillow. "Honestly, Shinji? With... how we're like. I'm surprised we didn't all collide _earlier_."

A huff. "Maybe Bond was the push we needed. Showing us all in different pairings, and all that."

"I suppose we can thank him on _that_ much." A soft laugh, as she quietly thought. "...Though then again, we were _already_ experimenting with at least _same sex_ pairings, weren't we?"

"Only on birthdays."

She giggled. "Well, lucky _us_ , eh?"

Another small spot of silence, Asuka content with her current position.

Though a thought to her mind soon broke the silence. "...Wouldn't surprise me if you were a bit _nervous_ , though."

"Could say the same for _you_ , as well." He remarked back after a few seconds, his hand continuing to drift gently. "I mean... it _is_ pretty much sleeping with our friends, ain't it?"

A huff. "Yeah. Though..."

Her tension seemed to leave her, nuzzling further into him. "They'll... treat us right, Shinji." Her eyes closed, contently smiling. "I'm sure of it."

"...Yeah. You're right, Asuka." He sure as hell smiled at this, as whatever nerves he had seemed to fade away for now. "I know they will."

He didn't allow sleep to take him until Asuka herself fell into a deep slumber.

~

This general situation was rather well replicated in the room of Kaworu and Rei/Eliza.

Kaworu offered a quiet chuckle. " _You_ seem satisfied."

"Quite." Softly smiling.

Kaworu's smile became _sly_. "I wonder if I can say the same for your _other_."

Rei could _tell_ her other became rather embarrassed. "Heh, ask her yourself."

Two seconds passed.  "-ait a minu- Ah _damn it_ , Rei."

He couldn't help but feel amused. "She can be rather _cheeky_ like that."

She suddenly became wide eyed, immediately lacking the courage to look towards the fish.  "I-I didn't think you'd... notice."

"I _am_ a Nephilim, y'know." He gently remarked; the shift in their AT-Field was clue enough, but he didn't feel a need to bring it up in the moment. "Plus, your voice has a certain... _charm_ to it."

Eliza as Rei continued looking away, now blushing profusely.

"...I can see why she likes you." She eventually squeaked out.

"Heh. I'd say you were lucky your sister was willing to _share_. Though I think we've already shown our... _willingness_ to share in such thing. With what's been discussed."

"...I doubt _mama's_ gonna be particularly happy with this."

"Ah, what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

The computer huffed at this.  "So... you sound like you didn't _mind_ Rei and I... _swapping out_? During... that?"

"Well, _you_ enjoyed it, from the sounds of it." His hand ran through her hair. "And as long as you _want_ it, Eliza."

Another small silence.  "I... wouldn't have swapped in otherwise."

"That's good." A sigh.

"I'm sure Rei would've killed you if I _didn't_ want it, anyway."

A grim huff. "Most likely."

He looked to her form. It may have been Rei's own body, but he could tell this was _Eliza_ in command. Then again, it's not like Eliza's _original_ form differed much from Rei in the first place. "I... suppose this counts as your _first_ , then."

Eliza couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.  "Didn't exactly _expect_ it. Though... I probably couldn't have picked a better person, honestly." She finally looked up, into Kaworu's own golden eyes. _Still_ rather incandescent.  "Since... Rei trusts you."

He couldn't help but smile. "I'm honoured you think that, Eliza."

Once more, she glanced elsewhere.  "I'm... gonna let Rei take over."

"As you wish."

Another couple seconds.

"She... says I can stay here for the night." Furrowing her brow.

Kaworu paused, before offering a small chuckle. "Sounds like she wants to give you the _full_ experience of sleeping with a partner, of sorts."

"Can't say she's the _best_ influence on me, eh." Soft, and wry.  "So... how do we..."

The fish gently repositioned the two of them, her head now resting on his chest, his hand serving to run over her back. "Rei likes to rest like this. She... finds it comforting."

Eliza noticed the rather gentle oscillation.  "Your..."

"Indeed." A soft smile. "Hopefully... this is to your liking, Eliza."

She took her time getting used to this sensation, as Kaworu continued holding her close.

"Yeah. This is... agreeable."

Kaworu continued offering his comfort, as Eliza as Rei settled in. _'You're a good sister, Rei.'_

_'Not just because you get_ two for the price of one _, I take?'_

_'While... that_ is _an interesting thought. It's clear she likes the..._ closeness _this brings.'_

_'Indeed.'_ Rei warmly remarked, from within her own self. _'...She_ deserves _to feel such love, Kaworu.'_

_'I'm sure she'll be feeling more of it in the coming nights.'_

Rei couldn't help but feel amused. _'If she wants it. Though speaking of others...'_

_'...She likes the warmth this brings.'_ A quiet thought.

_'Heh. Like Eliza said... treat her right. Love her as you do us, Kaworu.'_

_'Don't worry. I... I will.'_

The other fell silent, satisfied. Kaworu presumed she was resting, perhaps taking advantage of her current disconnect. Perhaps even tending to Sovereign, as Eliza was... preoccupied.

Kaworu's thoughts soon turned inward. _'...Did you hear that, Mari?'_

The other stirred. _'Y-yeah... you are r-rather..._ open _with th-that, are you?'_

_'You can say that again.'_ A silent titter. _'...are you enjoying your time within me, Mari?'_

_'Compared t-to where... I w-was, Ash.'_ Grim, she sounded. _'But... yes. I really am, A-ash.'_

_'That's good.'_

His warmth flowed. _'I know you were watching the_ start _of the show, at least.'_

_'I... caught the f-first few bits of it. The..._ personality _was rather nice t-to start off with but... c-can't say I like it, otherwise. Too... t-too close to home.'_

_'That's fair. It_ is _rather..._ provoking _, at times.'_

_'...I've had e-enough of t... that shit in my l-life, Ash. Or... p-post life, in my case.'_

She briefly lulled. _'...Do... I really get to stay with you for... a-as long as you live. If not... forever.'_

Kaworu gave a melancholic smile. _'I suppose it would be hard to believe. Given... your life. But yes. I will keep you safe, Mari. You... don't have to worry about anything, if you want.'_

There was another quiet, as the presence seemed to think.

She flickered, in lieu of flaring. _'...I... appreciate that, Kaworu.'_

The melancholy remained. _'You used my name.'_

A pause.

_'...C-can... I say I l-love you?'_

_'If you want.'_ He softly smiled. _'You should already know_ my _opinion, by now.'_

Yet another pause.

_'...I love you, Kaworu.'_

_'I love you too, Mari.'_

Her light shined. _'I... suppose they're r-right in calling this a t-tumbleweed.'_

_'More love is never a bad thing, Mari. And... you could use some of it, I feel.'_

He offered a satisfied huff, as he thought about his current situation.

Rei was resting within herself. Eliza, still in command of Rei's body judging from their Field, had fallen asleep not too long after she settled; he had assumed this would mean Sovereign within Rei was resting, as well. The song of Shinji and Asuka had settled some, as well. And now, his own passenger had become dormant, albeit somewhat brighter than she was before.

"...Yeah. This _is_ agreeable." Quietly echoing Eliza's own thoughts, allowing himself to rest.

More love was never a bad thing, indeed.

* * *


	2. Evalied 2

* * *

****

## 1\. Breakfast

The light tapping on the door stirred Kaji from his slumber.

And it was only here he noticed he was clutching a _pillow_ , instead of his fiancee. "...Aww."

Seeing no point to staying in bed, and noticing the sun beginning to creep through the window, he got up to answer the door. "...eeeh?"

"Wark."

Eyes shot open, and he looked down.

Pen-Pen was _very_ unamused with the sight he was greeted with, as he looked Kaji in the eye and threateningly engaged his claws like he were Wolverine.

Kaji _slammed_ the sliding door, "Sorry!"

He could _hear_ Misato laughing like there were no tomorrow from the other side of the house, as he thought to make himself decent.

~

A few moments later (and clothed to _Pen-Pen's_ liking), Kaji was seated at the table, diligently eating what Misato had cooked up. "I thought it was the _men_ who would cook breakfast the morning after."

"Yeah, well I wanted to get some _practice_ in." A sly smile. "D'ya like it?" Leaning forward, eager to his reply.

A nod and a warm smile. "It tastes nice, Misato."

Misato could _tell_ this was a genuine comment, and not just him trying to skirt around it. "...It is? I mean... yeah of _course_ it is!" Grinning. "Helps it was _insanely_ simple, hell it's easier than trying to wrangle that pot noodle, in some ways. Just gotta make sure we've got leftover rice in the fridge."

"Which is easy enough itself." He continued munching on the egg with rice; indeed a _simple_ dish but rather... _homely_ in its charm regardless. "Seems like Shinji's lessons have paid off, eh?"

"God knows I _needed_ them, eh?" Leaning back in her chair, still smiling from her apparent victory. "Don't know _how_ I ate that stuff _before_ Shinji came here."

"Seems we were _all_ rather different back than, eh?"

A huff. "I know, right? Never would've thought _this_ could be possible, eh?"

"I was counting myself lucky if I survived to see the end of the world, myself."

A snort. "Think we _all_ were, Ryoji."

And a sigh. "...Can't deny they helped change us, eh? For the better, I feel. I... kinda _like_ having a clean house."

"I suppose this distance has gotten you thinking about them."

"You _bet_ it has."

Another slight pause, as they continued eating breakfast. "Well, we got the time to _think_ about that, eh?"

"Oh I'm sure we're gonna be thinking about a _lot_ of things at night." Smirking. "But that's for the _night_ , eh?"

"...Oh right. The whole meat grinder business."

"Sure _feels_ like that, eh?" Prodding at the sheer amount of _work_ they got, as she glanced to the clock. "Speaking of."

"Yeah, gimme a bit to get ready, Misato."

Scoffing down his egg on rice, it only took him another 10 minutes to get ready. "Jeez, I've always _marvelled_ at how quickly men can get ready."

"How long did _you_ take?"

"I woke up at 5 and I started cooking breakfast at 5:50."

"...Huh. Though I suppose we have less to... _upkeep_."

Rolling her eyes, as she locked onto his arm. "Lucky bastard. Bye Pen-Pen!"

" _Wark_." A decisively _unamused_ sound, as he went into his fridge.

"Well, if _that_ didn't wake me up, I'm sure _your car_ will." A small smirk, as they made their way.

"You know how _bad_ traffic can be around this time, right?"

She shrugged. "You got _diplomats_ on your Australian Pontiac, don't ya?"

"...Ah so _that's_ why you like my car!"

"It's GM, or at least _was_ GM; it's fast and it's _loud_. It's like those maniacs at Holden took a Firebird engine, made it run on _diesel_ and stuck it in a damn _Crown_!"

The Inspector laughed at the thought. "Perhaps you'll think of importing your next car from _Australia_ , instead of the States. I'm sure they could _use_ the international trade."

"Oh? What cars _do_ they make in Australia?"

"Well..." His mind ran back to his months in Australia, as they got into said Australian car. "They were rather _dire_ in the 2000s, as you'd expect. But I think Bendigo's collaboration with Swan helped them some, get some good iron and steel and _lithium_ in them."

"Oh surely they don't manufacture _too_ much there?"

"There's Holden and _Ford_ , they make sedans and these small pickup trucks from them; they call such cars _utes._ "

Misato giggled at how _cute_ that sounded. " _Ute_ , eh? So what, they just cut the back half of a sedan off and put in a flatbed?"

"From the looks of it, yeah."

That got her thinking. "Like one of those damn BRATs, I imagine. Though I suppose they'd be _easier_ to make than a _proper_ pickup like a Hilux."

"That was _my_ thinking as well." The V8 diesel sprung to life. "Use the car designs you have; rather pragmatic for an environment such as Australia. Though funny you mention _Hilux_ ; _Toyota_ existed there in a way. Though as far as _I_ could tell, they were pretty much _independent_. Hell, they sold _Mitsubishi's_ as a _marquee_."

Misato _loudly_ laughed at the thought. " _That'd_ never happen here. So what'd _that_ Toyota make?"

"Hilux's and Land Cruisers, mainly. And it's like those Land Cruisers you see in the _Middle East_ as well; proper outback four wheelers."

"I'm sure _that_ would've been fun trying to import."

"Rather _boring_ , as well."

And the lion was off, Misato giggling all the way to the Geofront.

~

Misato and Kaji were busy in their seventh meeting of the day, even though it wasn't even lunch time.

All their pilots were either at school or in _Germany_. Or, in the case of Hiro and Zero Two, in their apartment doing they _would_ say Gods know what, but they knew full well what was going on behind closed doors.

But then again, not like _they_ were rostered on for anything. Ritsuko made a note to remember to get them in NT-Unit-00 to not just _test_ it to see if it _still_ works completely after what happened, but to actually get that damned Lance of Longinus back in Lilith.

The Magi were busy not only _still_ analysing that sample of _Kleinium_ Ritsuko gave to the over a _week_ ago (there were a _lot_ of 601 errors during that), they were dealing with whatever Godsforsaken phone _Misato_ gave to them. Go figure, a phone coming from a _Seele Chairman_ was difficult as hell to brute force, even _with_ three Magi at your disposal.

At least they'll have _Hikari's_ sync test in Unit-02 to occupy themselves, later today.

But for now, Ritsuko was busy trying to wrangle Misato's Powerbook, the Firewire disc drive connected to it as she _tried_ to get a DVD reader programmed in. The Magi were able to program parts of it, but there was always the need for a _personal_ touch with dealing with exotic hardware.

Which, with _this_ exotic hardware, she had _no_ experience with, as she fumbled into another segmentation fault. "Feh. _Just_ different enough to be a pain in my ass."

"And to think, we're doing all this for a _video game_."

"I _know_." The Sempai muttered. "At least the _tumbleweed_ is getting a break from this Rift business, for once."

"Though... speaking of." Maya's thoughts went back. "What was it that Eliza said about _speculation_?"

"It's a method of optimising how processors execute their instructions, essentially. Eliza's summary was close enough."

"...Including the whole _potential exploit_ stuff?"

"I've got the Magi looking into that, as well. Might as well load _more_ work onto them." She grumbled. "Though it _is_ somewhat disconcerting, admittedly. I don't need to tell you that _every_ modern processor optimises processing in this way. And... if _Seele_ or _VIRM_ or whatever the hell they call themselves nowadays can do _that_..."

Silence.

"Dire, ain't it."

"To say the least." A sigh, as she shut Misato's terminal. "And now we have to find a copy of _Windows_ somewhere. Remind me, what was the most recent version Microsoft released?"

Maya glanced elsewhere to think. "... _Whistler_ , wasn't it? I've heard word of a _Longhorn_."

" _Longhorn_ has been in development since _2005_ , Maya. I don't think it's going anywhere."

"Still... where _are_ we gonna get that? Cause I know for a fact NERV doesn't even _touch_ Windows, do we?"

"A fact which I am _proud_ of. But yes, it _is_ a bit of an..." A thought occurred to her. "Actually, what are the chances _Kensuke_ has something like that?"

The Kohai too thought about this. "I mean, he had a damn _Octane_ , didn't he? He might have _something_."

To which the Sempai shrugged, penning out a text on her own terminal. "Wouldn't help to check."

~

It was during his lunch break that his phone went off.

BEFORE YOU COME IN TODAY, CHECK IF YOU HAVE COPY OF WINDOWS WHISTLER AT YOUR HOME

Kyoko peeked over. "The Subcommander again?"

"Wonder what _she_ wants with you, Kensuke." Thought Hikari, as they were sitting on the roof of the school in their usual group. Now somewhat _smaller_ , considering four of them were apparently in _Germany_ without any sort of supervision at all.

And judging by Asuka's _phone call_ , they were taking _full advantage_ of that. A fact which _still_ flusters Hikari to think about.

"Probably related to that stuff she found." Kensuke idly mused, picking at the bento his birds gave him.

"... _What_ stuff?"

"Oh, a bunch of video games came through a Rift of some sorts." He shrugged. "Not the _first_ time they've had to deal with that."

Hikari slowly furrowed her brow, as she realised she might not have been told _everything_. "That's... _interesting_. Tell me _more_ about these... _Rift_ materials they find, Kensuke."

Toji _knew_ what that tone meant, but he couldn't just exclaim it to Kensuke, else his partner takes his... _you knows_. So in lieu of that, he merely tried to get his attention through rapid glances.

Unfortunately, while Kensuke knew the quirks of Sayaka and Kyoko rather well at this point, he couldn't say the same of _Hikari_. So all this went right over his head, as he went on to explain.

" _Really_?" Hikari remarked, in a tone that indicated she was _really_ trying to keep from erupting into a volcano. "I might have to _speak_ with the Commander and Subcommander later on."

Flat looks from Toji.

"What?"

"Kensuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

~

Shinji was up bright and _somewhat_ early, cooking and otherwise crafting breakfast with what he could find, and while there was plenty of _some_ , they were lacking in a few key areas. "Hmm. Might need to get some rice later."

Bare arms wrapped around him, judging by their tone they were _Asuka's_. " _Bread_ is the main carbohydrate here, Shinji."

"Heh. You _are_ clothed, I hope."

"I know _you_ won't complain about it."

" _I_ won't. But the searing hot, oil spitting pan I'm cooking some of the chuck on might have something _else_ to say about it."

Her arms slid out from around him and now rested behind his back. "Well, a good thing _you're_ protecting me, then." A deep smell. " _That's_ nice, at least."

"Might as well use what I got, eh?" A slight chuckle. "Probably the first time we had _chuck_ for breakfast."

"If that _Rouladen_ was anything to go by, I'm sure it'll be a nice start to the day." Her head leaned on his shoulder, overlooking the crackling and browning of the meat. "Though yeah, we probably _do_ need a few things, do we?"

"I'm sure Rei and Kaworu would appreciate something vegetarian that _wasn't_ tofu based, as well."

She snorted. "They're fine with animal _products_ , right? Egg and milk and stuff like that, right?"

A nod. "As long as it doesn't _harm_ the animal."

"Well, maybe some _Käsespäzle_ might be in order!"

Shinji gave a curious hum. "I don't believe I _heard_ that before."

"It's pretty much _egg noodle_ with melted cheese."

"...Well I've handled _egg noodles_ before. You might have to give me some _pointers_ , though."

"Y'know I like cooking with you, Shin-chan." A gentle kiss of his neck turned to a gentle _nibble_ of his neck. "Or, at least _watching_ you cook." A coyly remarked. "Not exactly doing much at the moment."

"Well, I'm almost done with this. Won't take _too_ much to whip something up for Rei and Kaworu; maybe _you_ can get them up, eh?"

The candle giggled, "You won't hear _me_ complain about that."

She disengaged from him, and with catlike tread made her way up the stairs. Shinji assumed she'd want to _catch_ them.

He couldn't help but smile, as he begun plating up.

When there was a knock at the door.

It was in all likelihood _Carmen_ , so it was a good thing not only was _he_ somewhat modest ( _he_ wasn't going to get burnt cooking breakfast), the _other_ immodest persons were currently upstairs and would probably clue into the fact to either _stay_ upstairs for a short while or actually get _modest_ for once.

So it was with those pleasant thoughts that Shinji answered the door. "Hey Ca-"

She was _grinning_. "So I _was_ gonna check in on you lot _last night_."

His eyes tracked down.

She was holding _another_ box.

Her grin, combined with _what_ this box was, was all Shinji needed to come to a frankly _horrifying_ conclusion.

~

Shinji was _still_ blushing like a stop light, looking like a deer in headlights, as the other three quarters went through their breakfasts nonchalantly, Carmen _still_ grinning throughout it all. "At the very least, Carmen, " Asuka mumbled through her meal, "You didn't _interrupt_ us. It's more than I can say of _Misato._ "

"What can I say? _I_ was a teen once as well man this really _is_ good Shinji!" In lieu of a proper breakfast, Shinji had reheated some leftover Rouladen for the Ops Director. It _might've_ made up for them _practically_ catching them red handed "Ain't _you three_ lucky."

"...Thanks." He squeaked out.

"Where was I... yeah." Chuckling as she remembered her _own_ whirlwind of a past. "Intelligence work combined with a brain soaked in hormones don't make a good mix. But hey, I can say it _helped_ me."

Asuka laughed. "You were a _black widow_ , Carmen?"

"For a spell. Helped me get through the aftermath of Second Impact, at the very least. Though I _stopped_ when I joined NERV." Smirking, as she was fiddling with her glass of water. "I'm sure _you two_ know how easy it can be to control a man's _other_ brain, eh?"

"I wonder how Misato would've responded if she realised she left us in _your_ hands." Kaworu flatly remarked.

To which Carmen barked a laugh. "I'm probably not the _best_ person for you lot, but hey, it's meant to be a _vacation_ for you guys! I'd say do whatever the hell you want, myself, as long as it isn't _illegal_."

"Even if, NERV could probably cover for us."

"Prob'ly." She shrugged. "Though enough about _carnal relations_ for once. How goes the Rift work?"

The Tumbleweed glanced between one another, their facial expressions confusing to Carmen. "It's... _something_." Shinji eventually concluded.

"Well I would've _hoped_ it was something."

"Well, let me paint you a picture, Carmen. The _opening_ is practically softcore pornography; they didn't even _bother_ covering up the breasts, and I'm _sure_ if they could've gotten away with showing _more_ in Japan they would've."

A huff. "Sure you guys liked _that_." As she smirked at the image.

"And the _very first scene_ we saw coming from this _softcore pornography_ was of a _freshly severed, still twitching arm_."

The smirk on Carmen's face abruptly died.

"Such gore was continued." Rei continued, completely in deadpan. "Loose heads and limbs and so much blood, you would think it was us sortied against an MP-Evangelion."

"And they did _all this_ while shoving the fanservice in our face."

"...At _some_ points, not even _good_ fanservice." Muttered Shinji.

"...Huh." Was all Carmen responded with. "Maybe it _isn't_ the best thing for you lot."

Collective shrugging. "We're used to it, by now. Gives us something to do _other_ than fuck."

"Now _that's_ the spirit." Emphasised Carmen, half chewing on her Rouladen.

"In our defence, that demo disc included gave us _some_ entertainment." Rei smirked. "I doubt you have _more_ games for that system."

"Considering it wasn't even _released_ here." A snort from Carmen. "Might be able to play games from the _first_ Playstaton, if you wanted to. They're pretty _cheap_ nowadays."

"Might be an idea."

"Not like we're really _planning much_ , eh Rei?"

"You guys haven't made _any_ plans for what you'll do?"

_Everyone_ shook their heads. "At least _outside_ the bedroom." Kaworu added on.

Much to the amusement of the Ops Director. "Can't say _I'm_ like that."

Carrying the plate that still held her half finished Rouladen, she got up. "Well, I got business elsewhere, and it sounds like _you_ got business as well." Grinning. "I'll try not to butt in between 8 and 8, alright?"

"...Appreciated." Shinji squeaked.

"Oh yeah, Carmen? Before you go?" Asuka began her query, intending to continue what was talked about the day before. "Did you... look them up?"

"A little bit." With her free hand, she scratched the back of her head. "Couldn't find much, though. Sorry, Asuka."

"Nah, it's... fine." She sighed. "Can't expect much _too_ soon."

Carmen offered a melancholic smile. "You lot have fun now, alright?"

She soon shut the door behind her, and the roar of whatever car she had soon faded.

Another sigh, as Asuka went to explain. "I wanted her to check on my dad. Just see _what_ they're doing, but apparently _they_ don't know as well."

The group fell silent, as they thought about the implications.

"And now I got _you lot_ feeling that." She huffed. "It's fine. It's not _your_ deadbeat dad and witch of a step-mother."

Grim huffs at the remark, as Kaworu thought to distract from the subject. "I assume we _also_ don't have a plan for today?"

"I was just thinking we'd _roam_ Berlin for most of the day. Might eat while we're out, might buy some stuff." Shrugging. "Maybe we _should_ buy some Playstation games if we could find them, it'd give us _something_ else to mess with. We still got _schoolwork_ as well."

"Or, do some things _together_." Eliza suggested.

A sly smirk grew on Asuka. "Oh yeah, you probably _knew_ what Kaworu and your sis were _doing_ last night, eh?"

"Each other." In deadpan.

"I recalled _you_ enjoyed it as well, Eliza." Her sister threw Eliza under the bus.

Such revelation _intrigued_ Asuka to no end, a grin growing. " _Already_ getting started with that, eh?"

Eliza as Rei became as incandescent as Shinji was.

"...I mean... she's _right_."

A _giggle_ from Asuka, "Well, sounds like you _already_ got to feel how a boy was like, Eliza!"

"And now she can experience what the _fairer_ sex is like, Eliza." Rei gave a sly smirk.

" _You'll_ be experiencing it as well, Rei."

"So will _you_."

They _both_ giggled at this, at least until Eliza wrangled back control.  "So... when are we gonna go out?"

"Well..." Asuka thought. "Actually, are any of you against going through the next disc _now_?"

The thought was replicated throughout the tumbleweed. "Might be good; it'd free up the rest of the day if anything."

"For shopping."

"For wandering around."

"For _bonking_." A mutter.

"Well, might as well get _started_ , then!"

And that was all it took for the Tumbleweed to get nice and comfortable on the couch once more, as they began their watch of the next disc of Elfen Lied.

* * *

## 2\. Elfen Lied

Character Key:

Shinji (S) Asuka (A)

Rei (R) Kaworu (K)

Eliza (E)

### 2.4: Attack ~ Aufeinandertreffen

"So judging by the _preview_ , I doubt this will be particularly... _kind_ on the stomach."

"Perhaps it was _unwise_ to start watching this _straight after breakfast._ "

"Well, we already put it on, Eliza." Thought Asuka. "I _still_ don't know how to control this other than 'X does stuff'."

"The box with the manual is _right there_."

"Now now." Rei defused. "I say you two should _get along_."

"You'll be spending the night together, after all." A small smirk from the Fish.

Eliza rolled her eye.  "Perhaps _that'll_ make up for it."

_Meeting_ (01:30)

A: "So she's trying to get her back, _after_ she killed half the facility trying to get out."

S: "She's _optimistic_ , at least."

E: "I wonder how she can even _think_ she hasn't killed a person."

R: "She thinks of her captors as _less than human_ , obviously."

K: "When one considers they treated _her_ as less than human."

A: "Yeah, hard to really feel _sorry_ for what happened to them."

Lucy started doing her jazz hands.

E: "I'm sure removing the head would provide the same result for less work."

S: "I think we've seen she... _takes her time_ , for some people."

Upon Nana's further questioning, she was battered to the side.

K: "Well, if anything was to make _her_ angry."

A: "Ooh are we getting a battle sequence?"

_Graveyard_ (03:00)

Flipping the script, it was _Lucy_ that was flung into the distance.

R: "In the immortal words of Han Solo, 'Don't get cocky, kid'."

K: "It _is_ the first time she is _facing_ one of her own kind. Makes sense she may not _know_ how to deal with herself."

E: "That sort of blow could knock her back into _Nyu_ , as well."

A: "Which'd _ruin_ the battle sequence, wouldn't it?"

E: "Considering Nyu didn't even finish the job for _Bando_."

And after the _incredibly_ self-evident title card, they caught _Lucy_ with scorn painted all over her face.

S: "Count yourself lucky, Asuka." He dryly jabbed.

_Despite_ her being Lucy, it didn't stop Nana from grabbing her in a _chokehold_.

K: "It seems even _Lucy_ isn't the most powerful Diclonius."

E: "Rather intelligent of Nana. She had longer vectors. I shouldn't need to say the _advantage_ she has over her."

A: "I think the fact Lucy's currently in a _chokehold_ is evidence enough."

R: "But at least she said she will not _kill_ her. I do not know what this _lesson_ may be."

S: "A battering, probably."

_Do It_ (03:45)

A: "Damn she _really_ likes him, eh?"

E: "And yet."

K: "Does she see Nyu as _competition_ , perhaps."

R: "I never understood _that_ aspect, myself. There was a time where Ritsuko once believes _I_ were her competition for the former Commander's attention."

A: "Which is pretty screwed up she even _thought_ that, but _you_ put her on the straight and narrow at least."

Yuka banged the table, her frustration evident.

S: "I think she does, Kaworu."

Kaworu simply shook his head. "He cares about Nyu because _no one else_ does."

A: "Not even _her_ , from the sounds of it."

E: "Doesn't help Nyu can't even _support_ herself."

R: "So it is all a result of _her_ misunderstanding."

A: "I mean, Kouta _is_ a bit dense to _not_ see Yuka's affection."

S: "It literally took you _kissing me_ before I realised you loved me, Asuka."

A: "But yeah, boys are just _dense_ like that. I don't know _why_ we were taught to indicate to boys like we were; they don't understand it at all!"

E: "Obviously you taught yourselves _otherwise_."

Yuka _socked_ Kouta to the ground.

K: "Can I say _girls_ can be just as dense for not realising our own density?"

A: "I'd say you have a case for that."

E: "If not density, then _emotional_. Her mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that Nyu wants to _steal_ him, not the fact that Nyu _needs_ him to care for her. The two are _completely_ different to Kouta, are they not?"

A: "Way to throw us under the bus, Eliza." A huff. "But you have a point. Can't deny _I_ was like that with Shinji. But I'd say I softened up once I got to know him _well_ , eh Shin-chan?"

K: "A miracle we even got to this point." Wry.

_Tunnel_ (04:50)

E: "So essentially, she has completely thought about this the wrong way, and has made herself cripplingly upset over it."

A: "Eeyup. Emotion is one helluva drug, Eliza."

E: "I'm just thinking about how _illogical_ it all is."

R: "Emotion tends to be. You are lucky I am not on my _cycles_."

Asuka barked a laugh. "That's _another_ advantage of those pills, eh?"

Ruining the mood was a flashback of what was assumed to be a _memorial_.

K: "...Y'know, that's probably what it would _feel_ like, for such a young child."

S: "If _we're_ any example... the young certainly aren't immune to that sort of thing."

R: "And this has carried through with her to this day. But as we said, a lot can change over 8 years."

E: "The idealised version of Kouta in her mind wouldn't help."

A: "Which she made when she was _eight_ herself. Of _course_ that's gonna be different; that's just nostalgia filter at that point."

S: "Though to be fair on _all_ of them, I'm sure they couldn't predict _Nyu_ would appear."

Though _speaking_ of Nyu, it cut back to her _still_ in a chokehold.

E: "Could she not use her _other_ hands to alleviate that?"

R: "Fear would account for that, I imagine."

At least until she used gravestones as _cannonballs_.

A: "So much for respecting the dead."

_Groceries_ (06:05)

The metronome ticked in the other direction, cutting to Mayu.

E: "Would she have the _funds_ for such thing?"

A: "I'd _hope_ so. If just for the dog's sake."

K: "Of course, it sounds like Wanta has to _share_ his food with her."

Rei shook her head. "Reduced to eating _bread scraps._ "

S: "Can't say the world's _kind_ on her."

A: "The world gave her _one_ concession: keeping her dog alive."

K: "It _is_ a good concession, mind you."

A: "Oh yeah; she would've _broke_ if she found that dog torn to shreds."

Tock.

S: "Does she _really_ want to try Lucy?"

A: "Well it's too late to back off from that _now_ , Shin-chan."

E: "Remember what the _preview_ had in store for Nana. It gets _worse_ for her."

K: "Good to hear we have something to look forward to." He deadpanned, as Asuka's long hoped for battle sequence appeared to begin.

R: "Equipment advantages are one thing, but being able to _use_ said equipment is another."

E: "She has killed with _pens_. Lucy is rather _effective_ at using her environment to her advantage."

A: "Making the most of what you have is a _core_ tenant of battle, after all."

Now it was the _women's_ turn to recoil, as Nana was pounded right in the stomach.

S: "Seems like _that_ feeling's universal, at least."

A: "Touche."

_One Sided_ (08:30)

K: "It seems _she_ will bear witness to _another_ atrocity by Lucy."

E: "Perhaps even an atrocity by _Nana_."

Mayu yelled for them to stop.

And just like that, Nana had quite a few of her digits and at least one limb lopped off.

_Right in front of Mayu_.

S: "Well. She's not gonna take this well."

A: "Maybe if she's lucky, she won't live long enough to deal with the _psychological trauma_."

Lucky or not, Mayu was flung into a nearby tree.

R: "I suppose it was too much to ask for _her_ to survive."

A: "You had _precedent_ for this, Rei. Just look how bubbly and klutzy _Kisuragi_ seemed."

R: "So you already wrote her off."

A: "By the preview, yeah."

E: "Can't say _you're_ optimistic about this."

The rest of them came off.

A: "Oh yeah, lemme try being _optimistic_ about all this! At least she won't have to worry about doing her _nails_ anymore!"

All three of them immediately covered their mouths, trying not to laugh at how _insanely_ poor taste this was. "As you would say, _Jesus Christ, Asuka_."

Their amusement was cut short by a missed bullet.

S: "Well, so much for cutting _her_ misery short."

_Cut Short_ (10:30)

Despite being short a few _limbs_ , Nana was still able to use her _other_ limbs to somehow _disable_ Lucy's ability.

E: "I'd _say_ why didn't she do that _before_."

K: "But you can see she would've needed the element of _surprise_. And I'm sure she would not _want_ to go to that extent to begin with."

A: "Well, she doesn't have much of a _choice_ anymore, does she?"

They were both surrounded by armed guards.

R: "Nether does _she_."

S: "...I guess, in a way, she _did_ succeed."

A: "It's whether _he'd_ appreciate it."

Surprising to _Asuka_ , it sounded like he _did_.

A: "...Hang on, did he _actually_ care for her?"

If that small speech wasn't enough to convince Asuka that Kuruma could _actually_ care for someone, he _backhanded Lucy to the ground_.

E: "If it weren't for the fact Lucy's vectors were _disabled_ , I would say that was _suicidal_."

A: "...Well I be damned. I guess he _does_ care for someone in his life."

K: "And look where that got _Nana_."

R: "I know _I_ would not think that as _caring_ for her."

A: "I didn't say it was _our_ standards of care, did I?"

Lucy still managed to get away.

S: "Man, they're just as bad as _Section 2_ , aren't they?"

R: "They _could_ have shot her. If they wanted to shoot their other comrades and their presumed Commander, as well."

A: "That's why if you're _surrounding_ someone, you make sure the other side of them is a _wall_."

K: "...Either way. It doesn't help _Nana_. Does it?"

E: "And she blames _herself_ for it. Is she even going to _survive_ this?"

R: "If she was to bleed out, it would have _happened_ at this point. I should not have to say _why_ there would be a lot of blood loss with what happened to her."

S: "Still... it's kinda bad it happened to _her_ , of all people."

A: "Yeah, but this show _likes_ cutting down the innocent and kind."

K: "Rather _literally_ , in this case."

_Contemplation_ (12:50)

It cut to Yuka's introspection.

K: "I'm sure _we_ didn't need any confirmation she was homeless."

R: " _Yuka_ , however."

A: "I wonder if Yuka's thinking how much _worse_ her life could be. Sure, the object of her affection is as dense as any other boy, but at least she isn't _homeless_."

E: "I reckon _Kouta_ would want to take her in, for that reason alone."

S: "That's if she _tells_ him."

R: "They _do_ have a bit of a rift, at the moment."

E: "That was _her_ fault, wasn't it?"

K: "Though in her defence, Kouta _does_ have an almost comedic tendency to accidentally look perverted."

S: "It's almost like he's a main character in an anime."

A: "You know from experience, eh Shin-chan?"

Cut to the Chief in a helicopter, still looking after Nana.

R: "She will not bleed out, at the very least."

S: "Doesn't help _his_ emotions."

E: "I'm sure this _director_ won't be pleased to hear what happened."

A: "So there's a lot more _worse_ people in whatever Godforsaken company he works for?"

K: "You remember _Bando_ , right?"

_Reunite_ (14:00)

Yuka met up with Nyu.

Shinji sighed. "If only she knew."

A: "Nyu certainly knew what she did."

R: "She did with _Bando_ , as well. It is apparent Nyu is _scared_ of her other self."

E: "As I'm sure _anyone_ would."

K: "It's amazing she was able to _lose_ her predators."

A: "We know they're clearly _incompetent_ , Kaworu."

E: "If they had _any_ sort of competency, Lucy would not have even broken free."

The brunette patched up an injury of Nyu's.

S: "...At least she still _cares_ for her. Even _with_ what we think she thinks."

A: "At least _she_ thinks it's weird, as well."

R: "The first step to solving a problem is to _identify_ it. It is more than what _some_ people do, at least."

We jump to the Shinji lookalike.

E: "Was he just lazing in the house all day?"

K: "Or _cleaning_ it. If it gets that dirty in a day to justify mopping the floors daily."

R: "Keeps him _occupied_ , at the very least."

A: "Is that clock _actually_ broken? Grandfather clocks don't run on electricity; you need to _wind_ it up every week to keep it running."

S: "I mean, _I_ didn't know how a grandfather clock worked until you just said how they worked."

Asuka snorted. "I take it they're not common in Japan? Fair enough; the only time _I_ saw a grandfather clock was-"

The phone rang, and Asuka immediately pouted at how her story was interrupted.

_Ward_ (14:55)

A: "I was gonna _say_ that looked like a bit of a gash."

S: "I wonder if a _hospital_ would be a good place for Nyu, though. Surely they'd ask some _questions_ about a pinked haired girl with _horns_."

Rei shrugged. "People tend to ignore such oddity unless it is _explicitly_ brought up. Perhaps _they_ are the same."

A: "I just attributed that to Tokyo-3 being the site of a _lot_ of weird shit."

K: "Kamakura is a stone's throw from Hakone, anyway. They might think it, as well."

It wasn't Nyu.

A: "...Jeez, _she's_ got a stare on her."

E: "It's... _understandable_ , why she's like that."

R: "Post traumatic stress. She does _not_ want to be alone, from now on."

K: "Lord knows _we_ still have to deal with such thing."

R: "...We are not _alone_ , at the very least."

S: "It sounds like _she_ won't be, at least. I'm sure Kouta would _certainly_ take her in, as soon as he realises she _has no home_."

E: "Even at _this_ point, he should be beginning to suspect she has nowhere to go to, on account of her calling _him_ instead of family."

_Welcome Home_ (15:50)

A: "There's... a bit of an issue with her going to _their_ home."

S: "Starts with an N or an L, depending on her mood." He flatly tacked on.

Nyu immediately fell into Kouta's arms.

R: "...Well, it seems she has already done the work of _suppressing_ that memory."

K: "Something so _shocking_ , it _would_ be easy to dismiss as a dream. Especially if there is no _precedent_ for it."

E: "And when one considers how _Nyu_ is like. Such a girl would never even _think_ of such thing."

Either way, it didn't stop dinner from being served.

Asuka couldn't help but smile. "Even _Wanta_ was fed well, by the looks of it."

R: "I would say this was the first significant food she has had in a good while."

K: "At least we can say the day _ended_ well, for her."

S: " _Kouta's_ certainly appreciative of it."

A: "Maybe if _he_ was homeless, he'd appreciate it."

E: "No wonder Yuka thinks he doesn't return her affections."

A: "As we said, they're _cousins_. He might not even _think_ of her like that."

R: "Even if they were _not_ related, one would still think of him as dense."

K: "Of course, it doesn't help Yuka does not _say_ some key details to him. I'm sure he'll be _much more accepting_ of Mayu's presence if he _knew_ she was homeless."

_Bathe_ (17:30)

A: "Oh they're covering up _her_ tits, at least."

Nyu made her presence _well known_.

E: "Can't say the same for _her_."

R: "Unlike Nyu, Mayu _is_ still young."

A: "At least ARMS has _some_ sort of decency. Of course, judging by how young _we_ were in _our_ show."

S: "Remember when we thought _that_ was as perverted as it gets?"

Asuka snorted at this. "Feels like a distant memory at this point, Shin-chan."

Their two guest occupied, Yuka chose this time to square away some things with Kouta.

K: "Rather understandable _why_ they don't leave her to the police."

A: "Not like they can be _trusted_ , eh?"

S: "Sounds like they _will_ take her in, then."

E: "Her day really _has_ ended well."

It cut to Nyu _enthusiastically_ bathing Mayu.

R: "I believe this backs up your claim, Eliza."

K: "At the very least, _they_ have patched things up."

Kouta and Yuka looked into the eyes of one another.

A: "Would you say _too well_?"

R: "With what _we_ are planning, I do not think we should be casting _any_ stones."

A: "Fair point."

This touching moment between them was ruined when a completely naked Nyu was put in between the two, akin to a brick wall.

E: "I find it amazing how that _tiny bit of soap_ was able to cover up _that_."

A: "It's like that's all they _need_ to cover up in order to be _legal_ in Japan."

_Flower_ (19:35)

K: "At least it allowed Yuka to offer her a room for the night."

A: "There is _that_ , at least."

Kouta meanwhile was contemplating his current circumstances.

Which, fair enough, because the _Tumbleweed_ were contemplating the exact same thing.

At least until the metronome ticked back, cutting to Kuruma getting a talking to from the Chairman. ~"So _he_ is the mastermind behind all this."

A: "And to the surprise of _no one_ , he's just as brutal as we expected." Flat.

R: "While he has _some_ points, Kuruma would _not_ want to do this."

S: "The Director even _said_ he's done this before."

K: "It becomes different when it is one he _likes_."

R: "With how he is like, it would not surprise me if he _somehow_ let her live."

E: "And if he _does_ kill her. That just goes to show how _significant_ he is."

The phone rang.

Asuka couldn't help but give a grim chuckle. "Seems even people like _him_ can have family like that."

S: "Thing is, his requests sound rather _decent_."

K: "With how the Director reacted, you would think he was asking for a _car_ or something along those lines."

And after the phonecall ended, they got a little bit more insight into this research.

E: "Why the hell would he _not_ want a cure to whatever the Diclonius does?"

R: "It obviously does not fit well with his plan. He _wants_ to force the evolution of humanity, Diclonius is to be the Eve to Adam."

A: " _Hmmmmm_." She loudly hummed, her finger and thumb on her cheeks as if to _emphasise_ how comically obvious the connection is.

Adding even more to the conspiracy, the brother revealed his own stratagem.

S: "It's certainly getting as _clusterfucked_ as our own world, that's for sure."

_Sleep_ (21:45)

A small sigh from Kaworu. "...If _anyone_ had to do it."

S: "He's... letting her down easy, at least."

A: "Not really a _good_ way to live, either way. Losing _one_ limb is alright; losing _all_ of them seems _terrifying_ to me."

R: "The loss of autonomy, I would think."

A: "Yeah. Though at least _we_ get to rely on limb regrowth. Even _if_ it take _years_ , at least I'm not gonna be an immobile _stump_ for the rest of my life."

E: "I would say it's better not to lose a limb at all."

Asuka huffed. "In _our_ line of work, I'm surprised we've gone this far _without_ that happening to us."

And so, they watched on in silence, as Nana was put to sleep.

It was difficult to say whether this melancholy was emphasised or _ruined_ by the sudden shift to the ending credits, lively ED and all. "Oh, good to see they _still_ give us the goods after seeing one of the most innocent characters in this get _euthanised_!"

"They've _really_ developed a habit for that, haven't they?"

"...Fuck sake. She _knew_ , as well." Eliza rued, resting herself on Kaworu in an attempt to provide him some comfort.  "She of all people didn't deserve _any_ of that."

He appreciated it, at least; his eyes still downcast. The pain of his other didn't help matters. "At least her _death_ was peaceful enough."

"...It's certainly more than you can say of _me_." Rei sighed. "I suppose you could say I have kept my limbs, at the very least."

"Even though _I'd_ prefer losing a limb over losing my life." Asuka expressed. "Hell, I'm sure even if I _was_ reduced to a _stump_ , I know _you three_ would take care of me while I healed up from that."

"That should be a _given,_ I believe." Noted Rei. "And I _know_ that will be the same for _all_ of us."

"But God knows I'd rather lose _one_ limb at a time, if I could help it."

"That should _also_ be a given." Rei added.

"I shouldn't be surprised _how_ we got back onto the subject of losing limbs." Deadpanned Eliza, before the preview played out. "Well, _that_ told me nothing."

"It tells us _shit happens_ , at least."

"You could summarise the _entire show_ with that, Asuka."

And with their hopes at adequately low levels, the next episode began.

~~~

### 2.5: Receipt ~ Empfang

"They're never gonna change this opening, are they?"

"I doubt it." Muttered Asuka. "You guys remember Madoka? _That_ used the same opening throughout the entire damn show, didn't it?"

"Even _if_ it was somewhat unsuitable in tone. But they changed their _ending sequence_ after it pulled the carpet from underneath us, at the very least."

"And I don't remember there being _blatant pornography_ in Madoka." Shinji pointed out.

"A good thing, too. Not only does it involve Sayaka and Kyoko, it involves _their_ friends as well."

"And I'm sure it would've been awkward as _all_ hell to see their friends _naked_."

"As if seeing them suffer wasn't bad enough." Kaworu dryly thought.

_Sunrise_ (01:30)

E: "...Makes sense _he_ has a lot to think about."

A: "Having to put down your favoured _slave_ like a sick dog tends to do that."

K: "And yet, he cannot find it in himself to _regret_ it."

R: "He does not give himself the _right_. Obviously his _past_ is not a particularly good one."

S: "Considering he got in _that_ position. _I'd_ certainly be thinking how I got there."

One title sequence later, they were back at the Kanae Residence.

K: "...Appears she didn't want to be a burden on them."

A: "Even though they were _more_ than willing to help her."

Shinji shrugged. "Some people are like that. I know _I_ was like that."

R: "At the very least, he is willing to take her in."

A: "It's all whether _Yuka_ thinks this as being yet _another_ sleight on her."

E: "With how she's been like, I would say _probably_. At least _Nyu's_ having fun with that grandfather clock."

A: "She might've even got it _working_ , if she fumbled with it in the right way."

R: "Or break it." She surmised.

A: "Or that; she has that tendency, doesn't she?"

_Fish_ (03:40)

S: "Well, at least she's _occupying_ herself." A small smile.

This smile died when it started with _Mayu's_ flashback.

A look of _fear_ grew on Asuka, "That... is _not_ a good smile."

Her fears were unfortunately confirmed.

All they could really do was watch on in shocked silence.

Asuka's fist clenched, as the mother slapped Mayu. " _I._ Want to throw something out the _window_. And the _only reason_ I am _not_ throwing that _disc_ out the window is because there is _more_."

K: "...This trauma would be why she considers herself a burden. If even her _mother_ does."

R: "She had no _choice_ but to run away, then. Else this _abuse_ would have continued."

E: "And no one did _anything_?"

S: "All she had were _them_ , obviously. And the _mother_ obviously didn't help her; what _else_ can she do?"

A: "And I thought her life was bad enough as is; why the fuck is _her_ life so shitty?"

K: "You could make a case for _everyone_ in this work."

R: "At this rate, I am convinced whoever sent us this wanted to _ruin_ our vacation."

A: "It sure fucking _seems_ like that, Rei! _Our_ world was pretty terrible on us, but at least _that_ never happened."

K: "Not in _that_ way, at the very least."

R: "And not _consistently_."

E: "So is he _another_ person we should wish death on?"

A: "When it comes to _actually_ abusing children like that, _yes_. I can understand it's a _mental sickness_ , but _that's_ a line that should _never_ be crossed."

_Listless_ (06:00)

The suffering of Mayu continued, as she found the ocean.

R: "It... does not surprise me at all if she was... _idealising_ that."

A: "After all _that_."

S: "...We know she _doesn't_ do such thing, at least."

Wanta made themselves known.

K: "Well. That only makes him all the _more_ important."

A: "No _wonder_ she cares for him. If he _actually_ died, I'm sure _she_ wouldn't have been too long for that."

Someone found _James_.

A: "OH WOULD YOU _LOOK AT THAT_!"

E: "It's like that world _wants_ her to die, at this point. How much more suffering could you _get_ in your life?"

R: "At _this_ point, I would be beginning to suspect _someone_ at ARMS utterly _despised_ Mayu. When someone cares more about a _dog_ than _her wellbeing_."

Not that it'd help her, but the police found her.

K: "And I doubt _they_ would care."

S: "Even _if_ she tells them the truth."

E: "Man we've _really_ lost all hope with this work."

A: "We never had hope to _begin_ with."

Perhaps her luck was beginning to shift, as the main three ended up finding her.

R: "At this point, yes, they _are_ the best people to be with. At least they can give her _some_ form of a good life."

K: "It's a good thing they kept up their habit of _lying_ to the police, then."

S: "Well... it _worked_ , at least."

K: "Yeah. And... I doubt she'll be running away _now_."

A: "They even remembered her _birthday_." She couldn't help but smile. "They really _are_ the best people for her."

E: "A literal _dog_ was a better person for her than who she was around."

R: "They actually _care_ for her. It is _much more_ than you can say of who she was _with_."

A: "Much like _my_ folks. But at least _my_ witch of a step-mother didn't _sexually_ abuse me."

The tumbleweed seemed to realise this parallel, paling. "You... saw that in her?"

A small nod. "As I said, it wasn't _sexual_ abuse, and the roles were swapped. But... it was _still_ abuse, wasn't it? That's pretty much what happened to _me._ "

A bit more silence.  "...It is no wonder, you reacted as you did."

A: "...Guess I was pretty lucky NERV actually _cared_ for me, eh? Just as _Mayu's_ lucky she has at least _three_ people that care for _her_."

S: "You... could say you have three people _here_ , as well."

A melancholic smile on Asuka. "Depends how you class _Eliza_."

_Dawn of a New Day_ (11:40)

A: "Seems like even _Wanta_ cares for her."

They _assumed_ it skipped forward a bit, as now Mayu was going to _school_.

R: "I would _question_ how they got her into school, with her being a _runaway_."

K: "The police and the Diclonius organisation are clearly _incompetent_. Perhaps that is just a thing in that world."

E: "At least they're incompetent to _their_ advantage."

Yuka held her foot to Kouta's head.

A: "This isn't helping my view of this being a _fetish_ _flick_."

S: "At _this_ point, I'm seriously questioning if ARMS themselves need mental therapy."

K: "I'm sure _we_ could use it after this."

R: "A good thing we have one another to help."

Kouta explained _how_.

A: "...Wait, _she_ knows?"

R: "Perhaps she... _knows_ her partner has that... tendency."

K: "It's certainly less _cruel_ on Mayu, at the very least."

E: "...It's pretty fucked _that's_ the best option for her."

S: "I'm sure the mother knew her daughter ran away for a _reason_. If she did _after_ she tried going to her."

A: "And yet she's _still_ not bringing it up." Muttering. "She's just as bad as _he_ is for trying to cover it up."

S: "Not defending it, but _Japan_ tends to _prefer_ keeping family business to the family."

A: "Well it's a good thing I wasn't _raised_ in Japan, then."

R: "Either way... I'm sure if _they_ knew."

Yuka continued pressing down on Kouta's head.

A: "Hey, do you reckon I could do that to whoever _directed_ this monstrosity?"

K: "If you could find a way to the right universe, perhaps."

_School_ (13:00)

A: "Oh wow, she's actually _learning_."

K: "It's clear she _can_ learn, at the very least."

R: "Though I would debate whether it would be good to start her off in a _university environment._ "

E: "If she knocks her head, that's suddenly a _lot_ of blood the janitors will have to cleanup."

S: "We don't _have_ janitors at our schools. _We_ have to clean it up."

E: "Oh, well I guess _no one_ is cleaning it up."

A: "I think _university_ is a bit different, Shinji. I would _think_ so, at least."

Shinji huffed at Kouta's remark. "We weren't as dense as _that_ , surely?"

A flat look from Asuka.

S: "Fine, okay."

R: "She needs to just _kiss_ him, already. It worked for _you two_."

A: "In _this_ world, at least. And in a few others, it directly led to the end of the world." She shrugged. "Hit and miss."

K: "I believe we have already discussed how _we_ tend to miss subtle signals."

E: "Note to self, _don't_ be subtle."

The sensei of this classroom begun his lesson.

K: " _He's_ certainly a familiar face."

E: "He doesn't _look_ like he likes teaching this class."

A: "I feel teachers rarely do."

Just as soon as Yuka breathed a sigh of relief, Nyu thought to raise her hand.

Rei couldn't help but give a flat look, as the professor seemed to _realise_ something. "Well. She is doomed."

A: "So are _they_ , I imagine."

K: "He's going as far as to _call off classes_."

_Discussion_ (15:05)

E: "Of course, this is an _enhancement_ of the truth, isn't it?"

S: "Not like they could _trust_ the police."

K: "Though when told like _that_ , you _can_ see that."

A: "Perhaps if she was any _other_ person."

R: "And judging by the _preview_ , he may not be the best person."

S: "Even _without_ the preview, even his _connections_ mean he isn't the best person."

A: "I swear to God, if _he's_ a predator as well."

K: "You could say they _all_ were, in a way."

Nyu started screaming Kouta's name.

S: "... _That's_ gonna screw with him."

K: "He believes this is the best option, for her. Of course... hang on, is he wearing a _Batman_ shirt?"

A: "Ah Christ, he is." She derided. "Good to see this show still makes time for _that_ sort of business."

_Scenery_ (17:10)

R: "Still, you can see the _logic_ behind this. For anyone _but_ Nyu, it would be the correct thing to do."

K: "But the fact it is _Nyu_."

A: "Then again, _they_ don't know any better. She's just any old lost minor with long pink hair and horns on the side of her head."

E: "They are _also_ well in over their head with this sort of business. If anything, their lives would return to _some_ sort of normalcy."

S: "I doubt she'll be away for too long."

R: "Indeed. Perhaps she will get the Lucy knocked into her."

K: "It depends if Nana's _disabling_ of Lucy's power was _permanent_ or not."

Kouta began _crying_.

R: "...Of course, all the logic in the world does not change the _feelings_ he had for her."

Asuka rolled her eyes at Yuka's derision of him. "You want him to love you, but then you prod him for showing _emotion_."

Soon enough, _Yuka_ began crying.

E: "Perhaps that derision was trying to _prevent_ herself from that."

K: "...Kouta is _stoic_ , more often than not. Seeing someone as seemingly strong as _that_ break down."

R: "It _cascades_ , does it not?"

S: "It's... a good thing they have each other, then."

_Pineal_ (18:05)

K: "...So it's a _physical_ thing?"

R: "The bullet _did_ hit close to there, from the looks of it."

It cut to Nyu.

A: "Oh good to see he _immediately_ roped her up and stripped her down!"

S: "Not a good look on him."

This bad look only _increased_ , as Kakuzawa laid his plan bare.

E: "A rather sizeable _understatement_." Eliza has learned to mutter through her teeth.  "If Kouta and Yuka _knew_ what has going on."

A: "They'd probably kill him themselves, eh?"

K: "Perhaps he would _not_ be careful with Lucy."

Asuka snorted. "I won't complain about _that_."

And so Kouta and Yuka returned home.

S: "Cause Gods know _they_ can't help her, at the moment."

R: "If the previous episodes are anything to go by, _Lucy_ can handle herself."

E: "Can't say the same for _Nyu_."

K: "At least _Mayu_ seems to understand this."

A: "It's a _flawed_ understanding to begin with, isn't it? But as has been said, they _can't_ know better, can they?"

The three actually began to _discuss_ this circumstance.

E: "I would say they are beginning to _understand_ there are flaws in this argument."

_The S Word_ (20:05)

A: "We're gonna see her _raped_ , aren't we?"

R: "Not unless Yuka and Kouta _catch_ him beforehand."

A: "I fucking _hope_ they do. Cause I'm _already_ putting him on the same level as _Bando_."

K: "Even _he_ never went _that_ far. That we know of."

Unfortunately for Asuka, they were still in their household.

E: "...Is _she_ feeling that way, as well?"

R: "And yet, Kouta reacts as he usually does."

S: "Without a thought." He deadpanned. "I know _I_ was pretty dense, but this is bad even for _me_."

A: "Yeah, at least you knew I had _something_ going on in my head. Even if you didn't _say_ it to me, at the time."

K: "Either way, this is not helping _her_ mental state, as well."

S: "Why can I _see_ this show going that far?"

E: "Because it probably _will_?" Eliza's hopes had too fallen through the floor.  "If it focuses on all _that."_

Though a surprise to them all, he actually _did_ pick up on her subtext.

S: "But he _didn't_ tell her? Why the hell isn't he _telling_ her about that?"

A: "Because he doesn't know the _full extent_ of her pain. Though... hopefully _that_ encourages him, if anything."

_The R_ _Word_ (21:15)

The metronome ticked back.

A: " _God damn_ , I'm gonna get _whiplash_ from all this jumping around!"

R: "I would not _recommend_ destroying our means to watch this. I am sure _NERV_ would be interested in this."

S: "Maybe we should slip in a note that this isn't safe for Maya."

E: "You guys better remember that, because she'll utterly _hate_ this show."

Luck may have it, Lucy _disappeared_.

And just like that, an evil grin sprung up on Asuka's face. " _Good riddance._ "

R: "While he is not dead _yet_ , his time would be limited."

E: "Starting a timer for _one minute_."

Lucy _calmly_ asked who he was.

S: "Well, ain't _that_ a kick in the head."

A: "I'm sure _he's_ gonna get a kick in the head soon enough. _'On her side'_ , _fuck off_."

R: "I do not understand what his concept of _restraint_ is."

K: "Concept enough to try convincing Lucy _not_ to render his body."

E: "So he did all this just to _fuck_ her?"

S: "Shit, even my _father_ had better motivation than that."

A: "At least that was his _wife_! Fuck, I'd say even _Seele_ had better motivations, at least they didn't do it just to fuck a teenaged Nephilim!"

K: "I do not think Lucy would _appreciate_ being a _breeding sow_."

The glass behind Kakuzawa broke.

A: "Ohhh _ya think_?"

R: "At least she has her vectors back." Even _Rei_ couldn't help but give a small smirk.

Kakuzawa removed his toupee.

A: "Oh come on, that isn't even _logical_ at this point!"

S: "Logic was thrown out the window _long ago_ , Asuka."

Either way, didn't stop Lucy from slicing his head off.

"Well, at least we can say this episode _ended_ positively!" Asuka exclaimed.

"I can't believe it's even _possible_ for that to be a _positive_ thing."

"She was not _raped_ , at the very least."

"I imagine that's _another_ problem solved for the Director."

"To be fair on the _Director_ , he didn't _want_ to do that in the first place."

"So you reckon he _knew_ of his brother's _tendency_ , Shinji?"

"It's certainly _convenient_ for him." He noted to Asuka.

To which she shrugged. "Well, I'm _definitely_ not complaining about this. Even _without_ him almost violating Lucy, it sounded like he was a bad apple anyway."

"While just _that_ does not justify such... _action_ , what he was to do with _Lucy_ could warrant such thing."

"Hell, it was _self defence_ , wasn't it?"

"You could claim _all_ her actions thus far have been a form of self defence. Of course, she has been a bit... _overzealous_ with defending herself on occasion."

"You can't deny her _efficacy_ , at least."

The preview played out.

"You know an episode's gonna be good where one of the _previews_ includes a _severed head_!" Exclaimed Asuka.

"At _this_ point, I would say we were _used_ to it."

The next episode started soon after.

~~~

### 2.6: Innermost Feelings ~ Herzenswärme

"At least _Herzenswärme_ could mean something different, at least _literally_."

"Warmth of the heart." Remarked Kaworu. "You _could_ interpret it as the feelings of your heart, at least."

"So akin to _Deep Feelings_ , this may be a more... _introspective_ episode?"

"You could say _all_ the episodes thus far has deep introspection. At the very least, the introspection is _somewhat_ understandable to us."

"And not borderline _incomprehensible_ like _our_ show, eh?"

"Yes, I'm sure the man who was beheaded in the preview would be introspecting how he got in that situation." Kaworu wryly panned.

"Yeah, it's _easy_ to miss that sort of stuff, I feel. What, with all the _fanservice_ and the _gore_ and the _abuse_." Muttered Asuka. "Pen-Pen better fucking make up for this!"

_Prosthetic_ (01:30)

A: "You can make prosthetic _eyes_?"

R: "As you can regrow limbs to use, you can theoretically regrow _eyes_ to use."

K: "I wouldn't even _begin_ to think about _how_ you could get them reconnected again."

R: "If even regrowing a _limb_ would require plenty of rehabilitation."

E: "I would not _think_ those eyes were _natural_ prosthetics, either way. Surely a _natural_ eye would have _complete_ vision, not one that's washed out."

S: "It's better than being _blind_ , like he said."

R: "As I am sure having a _robotic_ limb is better than having _no_ limb."

A: "So they probably don't have _our_ technology for _natural_ prosthetics, then."

R: "That would be expected."

E: "Considering how you guys went on about such prosthetics during _MFE_."

K: "And all in exchange for his _you knows_."

A: "I like how you _still_ go around saying that, Kaworu."

Bando _immediately_ socked the good doctor with his new prosthetic.

And everyone's face immediately fell flat. "You know, we probably should've _expected_ that."

E: "I thought they _already_ removed them, myself."

R: "I expected that would have been the _first_ thing on the agenda. You do not give the dog a treat _before_ they do a trick."

S: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time they were incompetent." He muttered. "Hey, what _is_ that place called, anyway?"

E: "I recall _Diclonius Research Institute_."

A: "I'll just call it the _Institute_ , then."

_Trip_ (02:55)

S: "Good to see _he_ still cares about her."

A: "Hopefully he doesn't see the utter _gore_ Lucy left behind."

R: "If I had one Yen for every time he was dense."

A: "I currently put him on the scale of a _neutron star_."

S: "Doesn't look good on _me_." He muttered.

E: "To be fair on _him_ , Yuka herself should be more _assertive_ with him. Not talking under her breath and behind his back, keeping her feelings for him _buried_."

A: "It worked for _us._ "

R: "Even _I_ was somewhat roundabout with Kaworu, to begin with."

A: "Maybe, but you also didn't know _much_ about interaction to begin with, did you?"

R: "Indeed. I would say it was _concerning_ , she was on that level."

K: " _Something_ will have to give, one day."

S: "...Or some _one_."

_Good Night_ (03:45)

A: "Well, _someone's_ about to have her night ruined."

E: "It'd ruin a lot _more_ than her night."

Much to the Kohai's fright, Kouta appeared.

S: "It's better than _Lucy_ , at least."

R: "In all likelihood, she does not even _know_ who she is."

K: "I'm sure if they decide to visit this _lab_ of his, they will find out."

And so they made their way.

Asuka gave a grim laugh. "Christ, if even _she_ jokes about that."

R: "She had a good _reason_ to worry."

It cut to a girl as yet _unknown_ to the tumbleweed. "Ah, will this be _another_ girl Kouta adds to the little _harem_ he's forming?"

K: "That, or someone who will meet an unfortunate fate at the hands of _someone_."

E: "Practically _every_ person Kouta has let into his house has suffered such thing. Even _him_."

Unlucky for her, she passed Lucy.

Who let out a hand.

A: "Well, it was nice knowing her."

Snap back to the entry of the lab.

S: "She knows _that_ much, at least."

R: "We know that is more an _enhancement_ of the truth."

K: "We know _full well_ why horns are formed."

E: "I doubt this is helping _him_ , however."

A: "Learning you might have caught a highly contagious disease that makes you horny in _another_ way? Yeah, _I'd_ probably be concerned as well."

S: "Especially when she doesn't _tell him_ of the affects of the disease."

_Brain_ (06:20)

The as yet unnamed girl (and perhaps someone who will _remain_ unnamed) had her brain fondled by a phantom arm.

A: "I wouldn't _want_ to know what just happened to her."

R: "Judging from the _eyes_ , perhaps the vectors can do _more_ than simply _goring_ someone."

K: "It wouldn't surprise me. If they _are_ a metaphysical element, it makes sense they could _directly_ affect something like that."

S: "...Doesn't help _her_."

The metronome ticked back to the lab.

E: " _Technically_ , he isn't around."

A: "If they wanted to find him, they'd have to go to _hell_."

The Kohai gently opened the door.

R: "They can always find what is _left_ of him."

K: "If Lucy even _left_ that much."

S: "I wouldn't say she exactly _cleans up after herself_ , Kaworu."

Indeed, said Kohai almost _tripped_ on it.

Asuka couldn't help but snicker. "An _octopus_ head, she calls it."

E: "I think _he_ sees it, however."

Indeed, said Kouta pointed to a suspiciously headless body.

K: "Well. _They_ got a dilemma on their hands."

S: "They're probably wondering _how_."

Rather _understandably_ , they _both_ screamed at this.

A: "...At least _Lucy_ isn't around anymore."

R: "That means she _does know_ the full extent of this."

K: "And I believe _he_ is beginning to understand, as well."

A: "That his life _or_ his balls are in danger? And how the fuck does she expect someone to just _go home_ after seeing _that_?!"

E: "What _else_ can he do? It's obvious _therapy_ doesn't exist in _any_ form in that world. At least in _our_ world, the _concept_ of it exists."

S: "But at least _she's_ offering to clean up the mess. She reacted somewhat _better_ than I expected, actually."

R: "I believe she is _used to it_."

_Downcast_ (08:45)

E: "...I believe he will be _needing_ her."

He _was_ about to start, until he suddenly forgot.

Kaworu hummed. "Perhaps a side effect of whatever the _Institute_ did to him, in his past."

R: "It _was_ implied they did something to him."

A: "Whatever the hell _they_ did, it sure as hell _worked_. Not that it helps _Yuka_ at all."

S: "It wouldn't be the _first_ time the Institute screwed her over."

Speaking of the _Institute_ , it cut to the Director.

E: "Can't say _he_ was concerned about his son."

A: "It's what we _expected_ , wasn't it?"

K: "He is of the opinion that the _Diclonius_ is the more pressing issue."

R: "We cannot say he is for the equal _rights_ of a Diclonius."

S: "A part of me _wants_ to wonder _why_ they would even _want_ to research that."

A: "But then you remember _Second Impact_ and _everything_ that happened afterwards."

S: "Yeah." He flatly spoke.

Yet _another_ flashback started, this time of Kuruma's family.

Which _immediately_ removed the colour from _everyone's_ face. ~"Well. _That_ came from nowhere."

A: "What the _fuck_?!"

K: "Yes, that's an apt summary." Dry.

_Wash_ (11:30)

R: "And he was so... _upfront_ with such thing. How _can_ he be like that?"

S: "And just when I thought I could _sympathise_ with him." Muttering.

Kouta made his decision.

A: "Well, at least _she_ can tag along as well."

E: "Perhaps his density is _reducing_."

K: "At least _she_ doesn't have to worry about it. All she has to worry about is _school_."

It cut to Mayu and Wanta walking to school.

A: "You really said that _now_."

The fish's face fell flat. "Apologies."

Lucky for him, all she found was Bando.

...wait _that's_ not good. "Oh thank God it's _just_ the woman basher."

R: "This is _really_ making us hate this, isn't it."

A: "It's like Pen-Pen _wants_ to make us angry."

K: "At the very least, it will let us _appreciate_ our lives a bit more."

S: "I was already feeling that way from the _Laserdiscs_."

And so they talked.

S: "Good to hear he _appreciates_ this." He really didn't.

A: "Oh, but at least she has an _assassin_ she can call now! _Every_ 14 year old needs one!"

_Rain_ (14:00)

Tick.

A: "Well if _that_ isn't an indication Second Impact didn't happen in our world."

S: "I thought it rained only a few days ago. At least I heard on the TV it was gonna rain _somewhere._ "

R: "It is much more of a _rarity_ , at the very least."

Either way, Kouta and Yuka decided to shelter within a lonely temple.

E: "At least it'll give them some _quiet time_."

K: "Maybe they can square away some _more_ concerns between them."

On the behest of her shiver, Kouta wrapped her up.

They couldn't help but give a warm smile at this. "Just like _us_ , eh Shinji?"

He chuckled. "I know _she_ wouldn't mind this."

And so they stayed like that for a short while.

A: "Ah! She _finally_ let something slip!"

K: "I'd say it was _obvious_ he liked her. He's just a little dense."

E: "A _little_ , you say."

Either way, that was enough for him to reply.

R: "I am sure she will like _that_."

Yuka locked her lips with Kouta.

A warm smile on Rei's own lips.

A: "Looks like _you_ like _that_ , Rei."

R: "Rather obvious, I know."

S: "If _this_ doesn't get through his head, I don't know _what_ will."

K: "It did for _you two_."

_Manhandle_ (16:15)

Tock.

A: "Aww _come on_ , why'd ya have to ruin that for us?!"

E: "It _was_ going too well, wasn't it."

Bando slapped her.

R: "So much for having an _assassin_ she could call on."

To which, Mayu called on that number.

Asuka chuckled at this. "Cheeky."

S: "I doubt _he'd_ appreciate it."

Either way, it got her _out_ of the pinch.

K: "Well. She can say it came in handy, at the very least."

A: "A shame he didn't assassinate _himself_. God knows _I_ wouldn't complain about that."

_Shrine_ (17:15)

A: "Look, I _know_ you love him Yuka. But you don't have to say you're his _property_!"

S: "I suppose you can add _that_ to your list, as well."

A: "Pfft, I could probably fill a _notepad_ with that, at this point."

Either way, Kouta replied to this with _another_ kiss.

E: "Does that mean he finally _gets it_?"

K: "I believe so, Eliza."

R: "And all it took was a _kiss_." A _knowing_ look towards Shinji and Asuka.

S: "Yeah, I know."

A: "It's certainly a lot more _calm_ than how _we_ came together, eh? Though I can't deny it's more _picturesque_ than where _we_ were."

The rain stopped.

R: "It seems the _Gods_ were happy about their kiss, at the very least."

And the slapstick started right back up, with a short series of events that culminated in Yuka _punching_ Kouta.

Rapture from the tumbleweed. "Okay, _that's_ fair enough." Thought Asuka.

S: "Yeah, you don't point out what they _look_ like!"

K: "Especially not to her _face_."

E: "I'd say he was a _work in progress_."

R: "At least it is _progress_."

_Walk Back_ (18:25)

S: "At least he caught her _that_ time."

Their luck may have it, they caught Nyu.

R: "Not Nyu."

K: "Indeed. _Lucy_ is in control. And... _she_ has history with him, as well."

E: "As was evident _before_."

S: "We _already_ think _she_ was the one who killed his family. She _still_ feels the guilt from this."

Yuka was knocked back.

A: "Y'know, if she dies _now_."

S: "It _was_ going rather well for the both of them, wasn't it." Shinji sighed. "Does that world just not have a concept of _happiness_ or something?"

R: " _We_ certainly think that."

Either way, Kouta rolled the dice. "Can't say _he_ doesn't have balls."

K: "He wants to _protect_ her. Even _if_ she's like that, I'm sure he will."

On his behest, Lucy began to _cry_.

E: "...I'd say he was doing a good job so far."

And just before she was about to admit what the Tumbleweed knew, Nyu came back.

A: "They've _really_ made that a habit, haven't they?"

R: "At least _Eliza_ doesn't hijack control from me when she wants to."

E: "You're welcome."

S: "...Looks like she knows _one_ more word, at the very least."

K: "Even _she_ can appreciate a good hug." A small smile. "Though Kouta forgot about Lucy rather quickly, didn't he."

A: "I'm just putting that as a side effect of whatever fucked up thing the Institute did to his mind."

E: "Doesn't help _Yuka's_ feelings, doesn't it."

R: "She needs to see that Nyu is not her _competition_."

A: " _I_ certainly thought that of you and me, once upon a time, Rei."

R: "And _now_ look where we are." Slyly smirking.

K: "I imagine it'll be a _long while_ before Yuka and Nyu get _that_ close. If they _ever_ do."

A: "With the _shopping list_ of fetishes this show appeals to, it wouldn't surprise me _at all_ if they included _that_ in there."

S: "Maybe that's too _normal_ for ARMS."

_Pod_ (21:45)

From an escape pod, yet _another_ Diclonius made their presence known.

A: "Wait, she's _alive_?!"

They listened on to Kuruma's explanation.

S: "At least he appreciates _her_."

R: "Fully limbed, as well."

E: "Lets hope it _stays_ that way." She muttered.

K: "Though this raises the question. _Where_ will she go?"

A: "Maybe _she'll_ get added to Kouta's harem."

Unfortunately for her, Bando found her first.

S: "Welp."

A: "Damn it, why do I keep getting my hopes up!"

Either way, the episode ended before she found out.

To which she sighed. "Wouldn't surprise me if that was the _last_ episode on this disc, as well."

"It _is_ the third episode, after all."

Grumbling. "Oh well. At least it's all over and done with for today."

"Perhaps it _was_ a good thing we watched this early." Mused Rei. "It surely would have _ruined_ our night if we watched this in the evening."

"Yeah, at least we can make the most of the _rest_ of the day, eh?"

The preview played out.

"Well, _that_ doesn't bode well for her mental state." Surmised Kaworu.

And indeed, as Asuka predicted, it was the end of this disc.

Another sigh. "Damn it, and it's not like I can even _throw_ something."

"There isn't much _to_ throw, unless you want to compromise the watch for _later_."

"Nah, I don't want _that._ " She admitted, stretching herself. "We're already _this_ deep into it, might as well watch the rest of it."

Asuka got up from the couch. " _Tomorrow_."

The rest of the tumbleweed was in agreement. "So, what should be the agenda for the _rest_ of the day?"

"Well... Shinji was thinking about cooking up some _Käsespätzle_ for us tonight; it's like egg noodles with cheese."

"That sounds nice." A small smile from Rei. "It means he does not have to cook up _separate_ dishes for us, at least."

"Though yeah, that _does_ mean we need to go grocery shopping again." Her mind continued running through what the day should be like. "I'm thinking we might just find a _restaurant_ for lunch; might as well make the _most_ of the day."

"You still have your _homework_ to go through, as well."

Asuka waved it off. "We can deal with that _after_ we get home from our day out, Eliza. Hey Rei, maybe we can get some _games_ for that console as well; sounds like you can play _Playstation_ games on it."

"It would be _interesting,_ to say the least." A small smirk. "I cannot say I have _played_ a Playstation game before."

"We're more _Sega_ ourselves, eh?"

Asuka chuckled. "Well, we've already decided to _swing_ for the next two weeks. Might as well swing to _another_ video game console, eh?"

The tumbleweed chuckled at this analogy. "Fair enough."

"I suppose this means you guys will change into something _decent_."

"We would've been a lot _worse_ if Carmen didn't decide to pop in, Eliza." Pointed out Asuka, putting the disc away. "Which, I'm sure we'll have _plenty_ of opportunity to."

"You would not see _me_ complain."

Eliza rolled her eye.

* * *

## 3\. Familiar

Once more, Misato and Ritsuko were overseeing tests. "Lets hope we don't get any _unpleasant surprise_."

"Are you _trying_ to jinx us, Misato?"

Her hands went up. "Fine, fair enough. Just start the test before the ceiling falls on my head or something stupid."

A huff, as the Subcommander turned to her microphone. "Are you ready, Hikari?"

From within the entry plug, Hikari had her eyes closed. Calm but nervous. "Yes, Subcommander."

_"Okay. Starting test."_

This wasn't Unit-03, on account of Unit-03 being _destroyed_. It was Unit-02, with Unit-03's core.

Though for all intents and purposes, it _was_ Unit-03. At least to _her_.

A part of her grumbled at how she'll have to keep _correcting_ herself.

But these sorts of thoughts soon faded, as the synchronisation continued.

_"Synchro Start."_

The plug filled with colour, and her soul filled with warmth.

She smiled. "I... guess this means you're fine, mama?"

A short lull from the new presence within Unit-02.

_"_ _...It's going to take me a while to get used to_ four _eyes._ _"_

If it weren't for the pressure of the plug, Hikari would've cried. Her mother was able to see her turmoil, nonetheless, her own soul flaring to comfort her daughter. "You're... you really _are_ fine."

_"_ _Nagisa did a good job, getting me out._ _"_

Through her emotion, she could still chuckle at this. "Wouldn't... wouldn't be the first time he saved us. I... _really_ owe him something for this."

If the senior Horaki had a form, her right eyebrow would currently be up. _"_ _Judging by your thoughts, it seems like he's_ already _gotten something out of this._ _"_

"Oh _mum_!" Her hand went over her mouth. "Don't... how the hell were they even _allowed_ to do that!"

_"_ _Oh I'm sure you'd do the same with that_ Toji _of yours, if you could._ _"_

" _MUM_!" Now she was _really_ blushing at this. "I mean, I _would_ , but that's _indecent_!"

_"_ _Oh my sweet, summer child. If only you knew what your father and I got up to._ _"_

"...aaaaaaaaaa"

Back in the lab, the gathered were _laughing_ at the goings on, listening in over the radio. "That's good, at least."

"Sync ratios are only five percent down from her usual baseline." Maya announced. "I'm sure we can attribute this to nerves and Hikari using different hardware."

"So that's _one_ Evangelion we can deploy, at least." Sighed Ritsuko. "We got _that_ going for us. At least once we test NT-Unit-00, we can allocate resources to _replicate_ the NACSS for Unit-01 and 02."

"Looks like things are looking up for us." Thought Misato.

"You _really_ want to say that, Misato?"

~

Ritsuko was right, Misato realised, as Hikari decided to _ask_ a particular question during her debrief. "Ah damnit, Kensuke."

"I take it you had a good _reason_ to not inform me about them, Commander?"

"Would _protecting your sanity_ be a valid answer?" A flat remark. "When _my_ charges watched the _Laserdiscs_ , they had to take _constant_ breaks to get through them.

"Even though it most likely involved _me_ , as well."

A glance away. "...Yeah, it did."

This reaction seemed... _concerning_ towards Hikari. "Were... they _really_ that bad?"

Nodding. "If you _really_ want to watch them, then I can't exactly _deny_ you. Though they _do_ involve my charges a bit more than _you,_ specifically."

"That's fine. I... I've handled a lot more worse, I feel." Her confidence had _some_ nerves to it. "There'd probably be a lot of _classified_ stuff in that, though."

"Yeah, _Toji_ can't watch it. Not until he becomes a proper pilot, at the very least. You understand _that_ , at least?"

Hikari offered a nod.

To which Misato sighed. "I'll talk with Rits. I'm thinking on the Saturday we usually have sync tests with you, you can come in and... get it over and done with."

"That's... fine by me, Commander."

Another silence.

"What... what have I gotten myself into, Misato?"

"Nothing good, I'll say _that_ much."

~

Ritsuko glanced down at what Kensuke bought in.

She glanced back up at him. "You know, I was expecting Microsoft would've distributed Whistler on a _CD_."

"They might've." He shrugged. "But those Zip disks were all I had."

Ritsuko glanced down again.

There were about 6 Zip discs in the box that Kensuke offered, labeled with Whistler regalia.

"Huh. I didn't even know they _distributed_ Windows on Zip discs."

Ritsuko grumbled at her Kohai's remark. "I'm pretty sure we still have a Zip drive, at least." The disks were taking under her wing. "Can't say they're _reliable_. Did you end up _testing_ them, at least?"

"You wanted me to _test_ them?"

Another grumble. "Fine, I can't fault you for _that_." She muttered, before she went about finding said Zip drive.

"You're going to a lot of effort to play a video game, Subcommander."

"I know and I _hate_ _it_."

~

It was around the late afternoon when the tumbleweed bounced back home.

Grocery shopping was as humdrum as they expected, but it was nice catharsis from the complete _shitshow_ that was those three episodes of Elfen Lied.

Lunch was _also_ rather humdrum. They would've been disappointed if they were expecting anything _fancy_ ; most restaurants don't exactly _allow_ unaccompanied teenagers into their business during school hours. Go figure.

Either way, they ended up at _Burger King_ for lunch. Wasn't exactly the most _friendly_ place for vegetarians like Rei and Kaworu, but the onion rings and fries were nice enough.

Then again, not like they _needed_ food. Possessing _Solenoids_.

The afternoon was more or less the same as the morning, the tumbleweed bouncing through Berlin and occasionally spending some Euro.

But hey, they managed to get some Playstation games out of it. "Y'know, while we're here, we need to go see a _football_ match!" She exclaimed, the plastic bag of old games dropping onto the coffee table. "I'm pretty sure the _Bundesliga_ is still on."

"It ends around _May_ , if I remember correctly." Kaworu thought. "I never really went for any team, myself. Though the _sport_ fascinates me."

"I'm surprised Seele even let you _watch_ sport."

Kaworu shrugged. " _They_ were German as well."

A barked laugh from Asuka. "There's a _reason_ why football is so popular here. Damn well _everyone_ supports it."

"Even _if_ they are horrid people."

"So what _team_ did you go for, Asuka?"

She shrugged. "I'm a _Berliner_ , so I gotta go for _Hertha_ , eh?" A short pause. " _Actually_..."

The tumbleweed assumed she was going to wrangle tickets from Carmen somehow, much to their amusement. "Well, _that_ will be a fun experience." Rei smiled, before beginning to trawl through Asuka's haul. "So which should we play first?"

"Do I _really_ have to be the voice of reason for you, Rei?"

A sigh, as she reluctantly went for her terminal. "I can tell Ritsuko is your mother, Eliza."

Kaworu couldn't help but chuckle, "At least we have _someone_ to keep us in line, eh?"

"I'm sure we'd be doing a lot more _questionable_ things if not for this."

" _Someone's_ gotta keep you guys on the straight and narrow, as you say." Determined Eliza.  "You get _plenty_ of time for yourself, at least."

The men chuckled, themselves getting their terminals out. "You _do_ have a point, Eliza."

They probably got a good two minutes of work in, before Asuka ran in from upstairs. "Okay, Carmen said there's a game between Hertha and Hoffenheim going on _Saturday_."

Shinji glanced down to his terminal. "Well, that's in a couple days time, eh?"

"Yeah, and she said we can go to that, _if_ she can tag along for the ride."

"Which will most likely mean the _Trabant_."

"I'd say that was a _small_ price to pay for _football_ , Rei!" A wide grin. "It's been _so_ _long_ since I've been to a football match!"

The tumbleweed couldn't help but smile. " _You're_ certainly excited, Asuka."

"I'm _really_ gonna owe Carmen a solid for this one."

"Even _if_ she said it's _your_ vacation."

"Yeah, she _did_ say that." Coy. "But still, she's doing a _lot_ for us, isn't she?"

They seemed to contemplate this. "Perhaps she's making up for something." Speculated Kaworu.

A huff. "That's... pretty much what was said to me _yesterday_. Maybe it _is_ that."

"Well... is it working?"

"See, that's the thing. I never really held any animosity towards _NERV-Berlin_. Else I probably wouldn't have become a _pilot_. It was all to my step-mother and what she turned my father into."

"Though... with how _close_ they were to NERV, at the time."

A small nod, before a small sigh, as she thought to follow the lead of her others and get her terminal out. "I... really shouldn't think much of it, eh? Good for _us_."

Her smile grew more melancholic, settling between Rei and Shinji.

Who _both_ offered her mutual support, in the form of a hug. Even _Kaworu_ got in on the hugging action, from the front.

"...Heh. I don't deserve you guys."

~

The day went by much like the previous day. They did their homework (ignoring the Sensei's remarks on Second Impact, scattered throughout the documents even if it didn't make sense), ate dinner (which Asuka very much appreciated; nothing like a good meal to ease the mind) and played some video games (a few of which involved a particular orange bandicoot that liked crashing through boxes; they couldn't exactly put a name to it).

So all in all, a generally _calm_ end to the day. "I... would have not minded much if you decided to spend the night with Shinji." Rei softly spoke. "With how... introspective you seemed."

A small chuckle, as Asuka _enjoyed_ the small massage Rei was currently giving her. It helped calm her down, at the very least. "Ah, I'm sure you'll do alright with _comfort_ , Wondergirl. Plus, I already set a _schedule_ , eh? And I _like_ being good on my word."

Indeed, Rei was currently curled up behind Asuka, the redhead's hair draped over the pale skin of the Nephilim she wished to spend the night with.

"Plus, I didn't want to deny _Shinji_ a night with Kaworu." A small smile. "D'ya think they'll get far?"

Rei looked through the room.

And _smirked_. "I think they're doing _just fine_ , Asuka."

This sly smile was replicated on Asuka. "Can you _see_ how they're doing?"

"I can see their lights _intertwine_ ; just _what_ this intertwining means is up for debate." A huff. "And Kaworu and I agreed we should not... _interrupt_ one another, during."

"I imagine you wouldn't get _much_ through that link, anyway."

"A lot of _moaning_ , I imagine."

Asuka barely suppressed a laugh, "Eliza! Not like _you_ can cast stones, in this situation."

"I know."

"So are _you_ gonna get in on the fun as well, El? _I_ probably wouldn't complain about it."

"While I most likely _would_ find it interesting, it's your _first time_ with _Rei_ , isn't it?"

"You _bet_ it is." As she turned to face Eliza!Rei. "This is probably as far as we've even _been_ so far, and we haven't even _kissed_ yet."

Eliza smirked.  "I'll leave you to her, then."

A couple seconds later, this smirk turned _warm_. "Me again."

Asuka couldn't help but smile at this, as she turned around, getting _cozy_ with the bluenette. "Are... you sure you want this, Asuka?"

Nodding. "You bet, Rei." She whispered, her hand drifting over Rei's cheek, much like their birthdays. "I love you. You love _me_. So..."

Rei hushed her with her hand, holding the back of Asuka's head.

And soon enough, their lips met. Gentle, again, much like their birthdays.

They briefly parted, Asuka resting her forehead on Rei's, looking right into her dual shaded eyes. "No going back now, Rei."

"I won't." Quietly firming, a small smile, tears glistening in her eyes. "I... love you, Asuka. I'm in this for as long as you'll have me."

Taking a page from Kouta, Asuka used her thumb to wipe Rei's tears. "Yeah. Forever _does_ sounds nice, Rei." She gave a small smile.

Whatever response Rei had died unspoken, as Asuka leaned in.

And no more words were said.

~

The other room had long since finished their... _activities_ , at this point. But a night with someone you love wouldn't be a night with someone you love _without_ a good cuddle at the end.

"You're... really _warm_ , Kaworu."

A sly chuckle. "I wonder if that's a side effect of my Solenoid."

Readjusting himself, holding Shinji closer. "That doesn't sound like a _complaint_ , at least."

"N-no, it's not... means we don't have to use a _blanket_ , at least."

"Even _with_ it being winter."

Shinji's hand drifted up to Kaworu's, holding it.

"I... hope this was to your liking, Shinji."

"It was." He genuinely remarked, an unseen smile to Kaworu but he could hear his song regardless. "You're... good to be with, Kaworu."

Now it was Kaworu with the genuine smile, as he leaned over for a kiss.

To which Shinji _gladly_ accepted. "...And you're good at _that_ , as well."

Another chuckle. "I've certainly had a _birthday_ or two to... _learn_ what you prefer, Shinji."

Shinji couldn't help but feel amused at this, briefly lulling, enjoying the warmth his partner for the night brings.

And it was he who broke this new silence. "I... think I love you, Kaworu."

"Heh. You _think_?"

Another small pause.

"...On second thought, I _do_ love you, Kaworu."

The fish held Shinji closer. "I love you too, Shinji." He whispered.

Yet another bit of quiet.

"...Y'know, Kaworu?"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"I... wouldn't mind if we kept... doing this."

"Well... I think it's safe to say _our_ testing of the waters were... rather _successful_. If I say so myself."

"I'd say you were tooting your own horn with that."

"I was certainly tooting _a_ horn."

Shinji couldn't help but chuckle.

"Still... I'm sure _tomorrow_ night will be... _interesting_ for us."

"You got _that_ right. You even said yourself, it'd help _improve_ your relationship with her."

The Third shifted towards the Fifth. "...I feel the closeness helped _us_."

"Love's pretty good, eh?"

"Yeah." A warm huff, his song beginning to settle as Kaworu continued holding him close. "...I'm pretty lucky to have plenty of people who love me, eh?"

"And who loves us all in return." His hand drifted across, helping lull Shinji to sleep.

It didn't take Shinji too much longer to slumber.

_'...Ash?'_

_'Yes, Mari?'_

_"That... was p-pretty hot.'_

Kaworu barely suppressed his laughter, trying not to wake Shinji up. _'Aheh, I suppose the rumours_ are _true.'_

_'W-what? That girls_ like... _that k-kind of action?'_ Her being seemed to _chuckle_. _'A lonely teenaged... g-girl with practically u-unfiltered access to t-the... Internet. It's only_ n-natural... _they_ explore _. My mother_ h-hated _it.'_

A silent huff. _'I can't say_ I _was ever like that. I don't believe I_ ever _had access to the Internet under Seele.'_

_'I wonder w-why.'_ The other deadpanned.

_'So what..._ interested _you? Japan is well known for such works, at least according to Asuka.'_

_'I'm I-Irish-American, A-Ash. I never even..._ saw _one of t-those. At least i-in_ physical... _form.'_

_'I would have been_ concerned _if there was absolutely_ none _of it on the Internet, of all places.'_

The other couldn't help but giggle. _'C-can't say I remember any..._ spe-specifics _, to say. I l-liked the more..._ loving _ones, a-at the very least.'_

A small smile. _'No wonder you enjoyed this, Mari.'_

There was a lull in activity.

_'I'm s-still rather..._ amazed _you c-can be this_ open _with one another.'_

_'Simple. We all_ love _one another, Mari.'_ He continued to smile, as he began to settle himself. _'And... we eventually realised, we shouldn't have to_ limit _ourselves.'_

_'Heh. I-I can see the..._ merits _in that a-argument, Ash.'_

_'It certainly benefits_ you _.'_

_"Y-you bet.'_

Her soul flickered. _'I... had my r-reservations in becoming a... p-part of you, but... I don't regret it, Ash.'_

_'That's good to hear.'_

As he would, his warmth flowed. _'I certainly appreciate the company, Mari.'_

_'I'm... glad I found you, Ash.'_

She soon went dormant, choosing to simply bask in his warmth, as she would.

A small sigh, his perceptions turning outward as he pinged Rei.

_'You certainly_ looked like _you had fun, Trout.'_ Was her immediate reply.

_'Likewise, Rei.'_ His amusement was made known over the line. _'Did you treat_ Asuka _right?'_

_'...Yes.'_ Her bashfulness was apparent. _'I... loved it, Kaworu.'_

_'Sounds like_ she _treated you right, as well.'_

She was _still_ coy. _'...You'll be in good hands, Kaworu.'_

_'As I know_ you _will be as well, Rei.'_ Unseen to her, he smiled. _'Have a pleasant rest, Rei.'_

_'...Believe me, I will.'_

Her song settled, and the link fell dormant.

Kaworu turned back to Shinji.

Long since fallen asleep, in his arms.

The Nephilim's soul flared in warmth, as Shinji was held closer.

Sleep wasn't long for him.

* * *


	3. Evalied 3

* * *

## 1\. Cleanup

The morning light of the Geofront creeped through the curtains of the abode of Hiro and Zero Two.

It wasn't this that woke them up, however. It was the chime of their phones.

Hiro, being the one subject to the embrace of Zero Two, was the one to check. "...Huh."

"Eeeh, darling?"

The phone was placed back down. "We're deploying in thirty minutes."

"...Huh."

A small pause between the two.

"We should probably get down there."

"...Yeah. We probably should."

Another small pause.

Before they both shot up from the futon, rushing about to get ready.

~

"Both ratios holding steady at 75%, Commander." Announced Maya.

"I was expecting a lot _less_." A huff, going for the microphone. "I assume you two are going alright, then?"

_"I would have_ liked _being notified a bit_ earlier _than 30 minutes before, Commander."_ Muttered Hiro, most likely reflecting Zero Two's thoughts as well.

Misato gave a knowing look to Ritsuko, who took the microphone. "The Magi reports they notified you at _1200 hours_ _yesterday_." Flat.

_"They did?"_

"Yes. That was just a reminder notification."

Some silence, over the line. On the _camera feed_ , they could see Hiro's timidness. _"...Sorry."_

"Maybe we need to set them an _alarm_."

Maya's jab at the two entertained the gathered, at the very least. "Alright, you two. We've got a few things scheduled for you two today."

From her terminal, Ritsuko read the agenda. "Since you two are privy to such information, you'll be reseating the Lance of Longinus."

"And probably because you don't want to code a _mask_ for their computers."

"No, I'd rather not _this_ early in the morning." Muttering to Misato, nursing a coffee.

_"Ah, we're on maintenance duty."_ A small laugh from the blue horned boy. _"Gives us something_ else _to do, at least."_

"Pretty much our intention, Hiro." Ritsuko mused. "We'll be deploying you to the Geofront surface. The Magi will guide you throughout your itinerary."

"Yes, Subcommander." A nod.

NT-Unit-00 was slowly transported to the elevator, and was _quickly_ transported to the Geofront surface.

"Begin Operation _Cleanup Duty_." The Commander wryly announced.

_"Good to see_ you're _just as excited for this as_ we _are, Commander."_ Hiro was equally wry, before beginning to walk.

NT-Unit-00 made it around three steps before falling flat on its face.

Misato made an almost _comical_ frown. "Remind me how many times those two were _tested_ in the simulator?"

Ritsuko quickly checked the Magi. "Zero."

The Commander's eyes were threatening to roll back into her skull, going for the microphone. "Hiro?"

_"Yeah... I know."_

NT-Unit-00 slowly got itself back up. _"Still gotta get used to this architecture."_

"Nah, that's more _our_ bad for not giving you _proper_ training." She admitted, scratching the back of her head. "We got plenty of time, at least. Get used to those legs, okay?"

_"...Much appreciated, Commander_."

This time, they took _six_ steps before falling on their face.

"A 100% improvement." The Subcommander noted.

"When's the simulator getting back up and running?"

"A couple weeks."

"Oh, _great_. At least it'll be up and running by the time that _tumbleweed_ gets back."

~

Speaking of _Tumbleweed_ , one quarter stirred from her slumber.

Sapphire eyes slowly opened, the pale light of an overcast winter's day filtering through the curtains of her room.

Perfectly bathing her partner for the night in this light, as she continued sleeping serenely; the only movement in Rei was her head bobbing with Asuka's breathing.

And this... was good, she thought, her hand gently ruffling blue hair.

To the soft murmur of Rei, her own eyes flickering open and immediately seeking Asuka's own.

"...Heh. Guten Morgen, Wondergirl."

The smallest of smiles, Rei nuzzling into her. "Never... though I'd wake up to this."

"Well, you better get used to it." As she continued running a hand through her hair. "Took us long enough, eh?"

"You... want to _continue_ this, after our vacation?"

"Seems like _those two_ enjoy one another's company, judging from _you_." She smirked. "Might be a bit concerning to _Misato_ , but she'll probably allow it anyway."

"...There is still the _other_ part of the tumbleweed we need to square away."

"That'll be for _tonight_ , Rei." Warm. "I _know_ Shinji will treat you well, Rei. He certainly does for _me_. And... I know well _you'll_ take care of _him_."

"...You think?"

Nodding. "As I'm sure Kaworu will take care of _me_." Chuckling. " _Bond_ certainly thought so, didn't they?"

A small pause. "Yeah. Even if it is... a bit more _questionable_ in our world."

"Rei, it's a pretty big technicality anyway." She flatly remarked. "Lord knows you weren't _raised_ like that. Hell, we didn't even _know_ until we _both_ developed a liking for you."

Perhaps it was an attempt to quell her nerves, but Asuka ran her hand over Rei's back regardless. "And as was said, _Ritsuko_ sounded fine with it."

"I know that." Rei murmured. "I'm fine with _that_ aspect of it. But..."

Asuka seemed to realise. "Heh. Yeah, you always _did_ want to protect our relationship. But you already let _Kaworu_ at Shinji, eh? Why not give _yourself_ some of that, as well?"

It didn't take too long for Rei to think about this dichotomy. "Oh. Well... When you put it like _that_."

"Thatta girl."

Maybe it was _another_ comfort, but Asuka leaned in for yet another soft kiss, Rei _gladly_ accepting.

They soon broke it off. "So... based on the fact we weren't _interrupted_ by our boys or a certain eccentric Ops Director, I take it _they're_ still resting?"

A quick application of her sight showed her the answer. "I would say so."

"Man, I'm gonna have to _ask_ Shinji about that." Giggling at the thought. "It's quite a change, eh Rei?"

"Well, if they are anything like _us_." Smirking. "And I'd think they would have similar questions for _us_."

"Heh. I reckon, Rei."

Still playing with her hair. "So how's _Eliza_ doing?"

Some introspection followed. "She's currently tending to Sovereign. Plus, she expressed rather... _clearly_ , I feel, that she did not wish to _interrupt_ us."

"She's a distro of her word, at the very least."

Rei giggled at the computer related pun, that she actually _gets_ for once. "So... what should we do _now_?"

Asuka glanced to the ceiling, thinking. "Well, I'm not exactly planning on much, Rei. 'Bout the only thing I've even _thought_ about for today is we need to go out and get some _Hertha_ merch. But I'm sure as long as we go out _before_ the evening we'll be fine with _that_."

"I certainly won't complain about staying here a little while longer."

"Heh." The candle murmured, holding her paramour closer still. "You and me both."

They both fell quiet for another short while, simply enjoying the company of one another.

Though _something_ had to give eventually. In this case, it was the rumbling of Asuka's stomach.

A nervous chuckle from the redhead, as Rei gave her a flat stare at what it most likely meant. "We... should probably get Shinji up to get us breakfast."

"Aww..." She pouted.

"Oh don't give me _that_ look, Rei!"

~

The conversation during a breakfast of leftover Käzespäzle was... perhaps to be expected, laden with enough innuendo to cause someone like Hikari or Maya to explode into a red dwarf.

A good thing they weren't around, then. "Ah, well it sounds like _you two_ enjoyed your time together~" Asuka prodded, slyly smiling as she was holding her glass of water.

All the two could give were a couple of shy nods, as indeed they _did_ ask them about their night together.

"So..." Eliza eventually interjected.  "We're gonna have to ruin this moment _sometime_ today, won't we?"

"Oh right. _Elfen Lied_." Muttered Asuka, with a shrug. "Well, we might as well ruin it _now_ instead of ruin it _later_."

They couldn't exactly _disagree_ with this logic.

So as soon as they finished breakfast, and as soon as Asuka put the third disc in, they bundled together on the couch. Mentally preparing themselves for yet _more_ Elfen Lied.

* * *

## 2\. Elfen Lied

Character Key:

Shinji (S) Asuka (A)

Rei (R) Kaworu (K)

Eliza (E)

### 2.7: Confrontation ~ Zufällige Begegnung

"At least we can say we actually _know_ who most of the people in the opening are now."

"Yeah, most of them live with _Kouta_ , don't they?"

"I'm sure _Yuka_ would call it a harem." Thought Kaworu.

"So has _Asuka_ , Trout."

"I mean, it sure _looks_ like one, doesn't it?"

"And _what_ is being planned by us?"

A horse like huff. "Touché."

_Chance Meeting_ (01:30)

A: "Oh right, we left off on her about to _die_."

E: "The preview has not given me much hope, that's for sure."

K: "Must say, she's _still_ rather bold."

R: "We would react the same, in that situation. Just swap vectors for the AT-Field."

The gun fired, and she fell.

S: "Can't say that was _unexpected_." He muttered.

E: "What if one considers the vectors normally _block_ bullets?"

K: "We know in _our_ world, there _was_ development into Anti-AT Field _bullets_."

R: "Were it not for some key intelligence, we would have _faced_ these bullets."

A: "I'm just wondering how he fit a _50 caliber WOLFRAM_ bullet in a damn _pistol_."

S: "And the _recoil_ as well."

K: "Kensuke's rubbing off on you two." A chuckle. "I imagine that _artificial limb_ of his would help with stemming at least _some_ of the recoil."

R: "I am sure his _training_ would account for some of it, as well. He _is_ a soldier, after all."

E: "Either way, not a good position for _Nana_."

A: "I think that was _obvious_."

_Cook_ (02:35)

A: "Oh well look at them, being good _housewives._ "

S: "Not like _Kouta_ can cook, being _solely responsible_ for cleaning a house like that."

A snort. "Nyu helps _sometimes_."

E: "I don't think it's helping _her_."

K: "Even _with_ that confession of theirs, she still finds herself jealous of her." A beat. "Is it fine for _first_ cousins in Japan?"

Shinji and Rei shrugged. "I never really looked it up. Haven't really _heard_ of it myself; if it _is_ allowed it's probably _rare_." Shinji thought.

A: "I mean, this is _ARMS_ we're talking about. I know coming from a _Western_ standpoint, it's a _bit_ strange to think about."

R: "Out of _all_ the things in this work, that is the _least_ concerning aspect."

A: "And _that_ , as well. In comparison to some absolutely _revolting_ things in this, a bit of _Hapsburg action_ isn't _nearly_ as concerning."

A small chuckle from the Third. "At least they've got _some_ normalcy in their lives, for once."

E: "It's not gonna last."

S: "I know."

_Confrontation_ (03:50)

A: "In my personal opinion, _yes you should tell them_ , Mayu."

K: "It _is_ a key detail she missed out on, admittedly."

E: "So how long are we estimating he lives _now_?"

S: "We thought he was dead _before_ but he still lived. I wouldn't _say_ we should write him off."

A gun fired once more.

R: "Unfortunate."

K: "Thing is, Mayu _telling_ them is a double edged sword. Because they will most likely _need_ Lucy to come out in order to end him."

E: "And at _this_ point, he's rather well _prepared_ for confronting a Diclonius."

A: "This is with Nana at an _advantage_ over Lucy, as well."

S: "I don't think Bando's going to let her get away."

R: "At this rate, she will _have_ to break that implied promise with her _papa_."

Bando _kicked_ her, before suddenly remembering he needs to stay 2 metres away."

E: " _Lucy's_ range."

A: " _That's_ a particular caveat, isn't it."

K: "...I don't think she'll react well, if she has to _end_ him. She's... much more _sensitive_ to that sort of thing, compared to _Lucy_."

S: "She wouldn't react well to this _beatdown_ she's getting, Kaworu."

E: "And we saw in the preview _someone_ looking mad."

A: "...Oh _come on_ , why do they keep ragging on the innocent ones?"

K: "It's almost _memetic_ at this point." He muttered.

A: "This makes _our world_ look like a damn _theme park_!"

They thought it rather _understandable_ that Nana would want to _erase_ a world like this, then.

To which Shinji offered a forlorn sigh, at the sight of her solid eyes. "Yeah... we've been there before."

E: "This is entirely _his_ fault."

Asuka meanwhile offered several sarcastic _claps_ , " _Good job_ , Bando. Somehow you managed to make things _worse_."

_Feed_ (06:05)

R: "Rather far and away from _their_ situation."

A: "Thing is, I doubt they could even _fix_ Nana, at that point. God knows _Lucy_ would go for a more _direct_ route of dealing with her."

E: "It wouldn't be the _first_ time."

The scene jumped from Nyu fumbling with some rice to Nana confronting Bando.

S: "Can you really _call_ it true colours if _he_ was the one painting them?"

And much like an _actual_ terminator, Nana continued her stalwart march towards the man.

K: "It's a good thing he can't _aim_."

A: "They're _50 caliber rounds_ , he's lucky that artificial hand of his isn't _blown off_ from the recoil!"

Bando revealed _why_ he ran the way he did.

R: "That _sounds_ smart."

S: "Does he not count _sand_?"

R: "Hence why I said ' _sounds'_."

K: "Sand is essentially _fine rock_. Theoretically, if you can throw it fast enough, you _could_ use it as a _bullet_."

E: "Not even mentioning she could just _compress_ the sand for more efficacy."

A: "Or just throw it in his _eyes_ , and use the confusion to finish him _then_."

Despite his threats, Nana kept marching.

R: "Either way, such threats will not stop her _now_."

E: "So _is_ he gonna shoot? She already crossed that line in the sand, didn't she?"

_Sock_ (07:35)

Her arm _shot_ out, socking Bando square in the face.

The tumbleweed collectively blinked. "Well. Can't say I expected _that_." Surmised Shinji.

R: "I suppose that is _another_ advantage of an artificial limb."

A: "What, being able to use it as a _missile_?"

E: "I know _I'm_ not complaining."

He _almost_ dived for his gun.

K: "I suppose his luck has run dry."

A: "With how he's _avoided_ getting killed _so far_ , it's only a matter of time."

Nana pinned him, and threw his words right back in his face.

Much to Asuka's grim laughter. "Man she _really_ knows how to make it satisfying."

S: "And all it took was her mind _breaking_."

There was _another_ gun, Bando's arm _shattering_ from the recoil.

A: "Oh for _fuck's sake_."

K: "He's certainly a _Houdini_ when it comes to avoiding karma."

It was certainly enough to knock the psychopath from Nana, however.

E: "Is _she_ two, now?"

R: "That is the _last_ thing they would want, I imagine."

And of course, Bando used this to his _complete_ advantage.

Asuka's eye twitched. "Y'know, I think _Houdini_ is an accurate descriptor for him. That, or God exists and he _hates_ the innocent."

K: "There is a _reason_ why I called it memetic."

S: "At least we can say we found a world worse than the _Laserdiscs_."

A: "Shinji, this was worse than the Laserdiscs by the _second_ _disc_."

And yet there was _still_ time for some slapstick, Nana _attempting_ to help Bando up with her hands.

But huffs.  "Not exactly _appropriate_ , I would think."

S: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time."

_Director_ (10:55)

E: "Is he referring to a _Diclonius_ , or is Slipelit meant to refer to someone like _Bando_?"

K: "You could apply his words to _either_ of them, at this point."

A: "I wouldn't _think_ he knows of Nana, at this point. For all _he_ knows, she's _dead_."

S: "Of course, I think Kuruma has proven himself a bit of a _sieve_ when it comes to keeping things under lock and key."

R: "And I doubt _her_ explanation will help his case." A blink. "Wait, _she_ had that virus?"

E: "I don't recall him _mentioning_ that in his explanation."

K: "To _him_ , I am sure that would be a _justification_ for his actions, thus far."

A: "So what's this _punishment_ gonna be, then?"

It cut to Kuruma's own contemplation, longingly looking at the photographs of long dead people.

R: " _I_ would say he has been punished enough. But that world does not seem to have a _concept_ of mercy."

S: "Would _death_ count as mercy, in that world?"

R: "At this point, yes."

_Crepe_ (12:20)

A: "I probably wouldn't show that much cash on the side of the road, if I were you."

S: "You don't really _get_ that sort of criminality in Japan, anyway."

E: "It wouldn't help she doesn't _understand_ the concept of money."

K: "I know Hiro and Zero Two had to be taught such thing."

A: "So what, Kuruma just let her out into the world without _any_ sort of teaching? Even in that little _voicemail_ he left her?"

She passed by a crepe parlour.

And her luck may have it, two women showed her how money works. "Well _they_ don't appreciate her, to say the least."

A: "A dirty, brightly coloured girl? He probably thinks her as _homeless_."

R: "Or worse, a _delinquent_."

Either way, she was having no crepes today.

E: "The irony is, she _has_ enough money to buy _all_ the crepes."

S: "If only they had _notes_."

_Walk_ (13:40)

A: "Y'know something, for all he has to _clean_ the house, that kitchen looks completely _horrible_!"

S: "Might not even be _dirt_. It's probably just _run down_."

R: "Parts of it, perhaps. Though I debate _how_ they got dirt on the _overhead cabinets_."

Mayu, meanwhile, was walking Wanta.

E: "I wonder if there'll be a _zufällige Begegnung_ between those two."

A snort from Asuka. "Seems _you're_ starting to learn my mother tongue as well, El."

E: "It helps I had a _direct translation_. At least I _think_ it was direct."

Asuka shrugged. "It's close enough."

Wanta went off elsewhere, elsewhere being a _graveyard._

And Nana camped over a small fire.

K: "You have a keen mind, Eliza."

E: "Pattern recognition is a part of my programming, after all."

They _all_ grumbled through the flashback. "You don't have to _visually_ remind us."

R: "I doubt it would help _her_ feelings about all this."

Inevitably, Wanta and Mayu found her.

Triggering yet _another_ flashback. "...Yeah, I probably _would_ be concerned myself."

K: "It's not exactly something she _wants_ to remember, after all."

E: "...Hopefully seeing her _fine_ would help her."

Just as Mayu was satisfied legs don't just come off and reattach, Nana's leg came off and reattached.

Mayu responded as _most_ people would, and _immediately fainted_.

A: "Well, it wasn't the _worst_ reaction, I suppose."

_Pendulum_ (15:20)

S: "At least _someone_ likes that grandfather clock."

A: "They _are_ kinda fun to mess around with. My Oma used to get _really_ ticked with me whenever-"

Her reminiscing was cut short by yet _another_ morbid flashback.

A: "Oh for fuck's sake!"

E: "Thing is, _Nyu_ wouldn't know what happened. It's _Lucy_ that knows."

R: "And Lucy is currently preoccupied with... _not_ being in control."

The pendulum swung back to the graveyard.

E: "Did she think that was to be a _funeral pyre_?"

S: "She... certainly _looks_ better, at least."

A: "And _immediately_ accepting of her, as well." A demure beam.

R: "Of course, she _knows_ someone like her."

K: "Often it's the people who go through the most strife who are the friendliest."

A: "I know in _our_ cases, it was because we were so _desperate_ for company."

E: "You could apply that to the _both_ of them."

S: "...Wouldn't surprise me if _Mayu_ sees a lot of herself in her."

R: "They are rather alike, are they not? Nowhere to go, no one to turn to."

K: "Rather _exactly_ like her."

_Cash Money_ (18:15)

And so they spent a little more time around the fire.

They _all_ burst out laughing as they realised just _what_ was fueling the fire. "Y-y'know, we probably should've _questioned_ that earlier." Asuka soon pointed out, after coming down.

K: "And to think, Hiro and Zero Two might've been like that if they weren't found."

S: "I thought they had _no_ money."

R: "They did not even have _clothes on their back_ , at least if _Hiro_ was anyone to go by."

Eliza offered an inquisitive hum.  "An _interesting_ way to _teach_ her about money, at least."

R: "I think it was less to _teach_ , and more to determine if she was _lying_ or not. To anyone who _knows_ how money works, that would be a rather _blatant_ falsehood."

They started counting.

A: "Shouldn't it be _easy_ to teach even _basics_ about money? 'Money can be traded for goods and services'; surely Kuruma could've tacked _that_ on the end of his voicemail."

S: "Would've made _her_ life easier, at least."

R: "Would have meant _they_ would not meet, as well."

K: "I wonder if someone would find it _suspicious._ Two unaccompanied girls counting _hundreds of thousands of Yen_ in the middle of a graveyard."

A: "Not a good look, to say the least."

E: "It just looks like those two, at least."

S: "Those two, _and_ the realisation they _know_ one another."

As if to add to this realisation, the irises of Nana _crossfaded_ to solids.

A: "You just probably jinxed it, Shinji."

S: "Yeah it wouldn't surprise me."

_Seek_ (20:45)

E: "...Oh right, she's been out for a _long_ while, hasn't she?"

R: "A good thing they _care_ for her."

ARMS came to the realisation this episode was lacking in fanservice, as Nyu began playing with Yuka's _airbags_.

A: "I was _wondering_ when the fanservice was coming back! How long has it been since this episode started?"

E: "21 minutes on the spot."

A: " _Wow_ , that's an academy record!"

S: "And the _legendary_ Kouta doesn't even bat an eye."

K: "Truly a model for _all_ boys."

_Both_ the girls snickered at their disparaging remarks.

Luckily enough, this fanservice soon ended, cutting to yet _another_ pink haired girl finding the house.

E: "And of course, I doubt they even _saw_ Kouta."

A: "He probably went _up_ the path."

Speak of the devil, Kouta opened the door.

S: "Now _he_ would be confused."

R: "It is yet _another_ Nyu, according to him."

Mayu explained her situation, despite Nana wanting to leave.

K: "It makes sense she doesn't sense her. Technically, _Nyu_ isn't who she wants. It's _Lucy_."

E: "There _is_ physical evidence of brain injury. Perhaps _that_ causes this discrepancy in her Sense, or whatever they call it in that world."

R: "Thing is, our Sense relies on the _soul_. Under _our_ logic, one would _still_ be able to sense the light of Lucy slash Nyu."

K: "And perhaps in _our_ world, it would've been a rift in the _soul_. Akin to your mother, Asuka."

A: "Then again, I'd think that was an _exception_. Not everyday your _soul_ gets ripped in two."

S: "Not everyday your personalities get split, either."

E: "One day, that kindness is going to be the death of Kouta."

_Airbags_ (22:30)

The show cut back to the egregious fanservice. "Can't say _we_ were that forward last night, eh?"

R: "I prefer a more... _subtle_ touch, myself."

A: "Oh I know _that_ well enough." The slyest of smirks.

S: "Rather _convenient_ the door was jammed."

E: "Yes, I'm sure Kouta would've found that _immeasurably_ disappointing, he didn't catch them in the act."

K: "He already _did_ , didn't he."

A: "Can't deny it's setting _something_ up, eh?"

Indeed, the door opened.

And Nana _immediately_ went _postal_.

"I kinda expected her to _wait_ a bit." Asuka thought aloud.

"She wants _revenge_ for what happened." Kaworu figured. "Which, I _suppose_ is fair enough. Given _what_ happened to her."

"But were it not for _Bando_ , she would have not _reacted_ this way."

"So yet _another_ thing we can blame him for."

"Yes."

"Damn it!" Asuka slammed her fist on the table, but at least she wasn't abusing the PS2 controller. "When the hell is he gonna meet _some_ sort of comeuppance?"

"Such a thing _exists_ in that world?" Panned Shinji.

"At _this_ point, " Began Rei, "It would not surprise me if _Pen-Pen_ wanted to ruin our vacation."

Asuka snorted. "Well, we'll just have to show him that it _won't_."

"I'd say you lot were doing a good job at that _so far_."

The preview played out.

"I'm somewhat concerned they call _that_ episode the beginning."

"Beginning of the _end_ , perhaps."

And with hopes now at world record lows, the next episode began.

~~~

### 2.8: The Beginning ~ Beginn

"So how are we expecting _Kouta_ to react to Nana caving in the front of the house?"

"I would suggest he may be at least _slightly_ miffed at this." Rei understated.

"Yeah, cause it means he has to clean up a lot _more_ than usual." Deadpanned Shinji.

"Though fair enough, that's something you _have_ to clean up."

"At least _we_ didn't break through any walls during our initial _confrontations_ , eh Rei?"

"A few trees, perhaps."

_Face to Face_ (01:30)

K: "Indeed, it isn't _Nyu_ she wants."

A: "I'm just surprised that attack didn't knock _Lucy_ back in. _That_ would've been interesting."

Kouta responded to this as he would, by _slapping_ Nana.

S: "He's certainly _brave_."

E: "Yes, because that's just how you _respond_ to hostile Diclonius. Diclonii? Dicloniuses?"

The gathered shrugged.

R: "Of course, she does not _know_ of this dichotomy between Lucy and Nyu."

A: "Neither does _anyone else_. Which, at _this_ point, I'd _hope_ they'd know."

K: "There's certainly been more than a few... _examples_ of this dichotomy."

E: "The fact _Lucy_ spoke to their faces in perfect Japanese before suddenly reverting to _Nyu_? I thought it sounded like they knew _then_."

R: "Even so, that was during one of Lucy's rare moments of _weakness_. To practically _everyone else_ , _Lucy_ is a hostile entity."

K: "Rather understandable she _feels_ that way, then."

Nana ran away.

E: " _Nyu_ may be unconscious."

_Nothing Wrong_ (03:00)

A: "I mean, you _did_ kinda attack her unprovoked."

K: "Even _if_ her reasons were understandable."

S: "If it was _Lucy_."

K: "That's the crux of it."

Nana's arm popped off once more.

R: "At least such _slapstick_ allowed them to actually _discuss_ about their situations, instead of blinding shouting."

While they _might've_ , the scene cut to the Institute.

E: " _That_ helicopter didn't wait around, did it?"

A: "She could've shut the door, at least."

R: "She was the Kohai of Kakuzawa. Of _course_ she would have business here."

S: "'Why was my son's head cut off' _is_ a business of sorts. Not a particularly _good_ business."

K: "Kakuzawa seemed spited, either way."

A: " _For_ _good reason_."

After some airsickness, the Kohai and the Secretary walked the hallways.

E: "Not very talkative, is she?"

S: " _She_ is, however."

A: "Ah you _like_ us being talkative, don't ya?"

K: "It's what we're doing _now_."

The _business_ was shown to the Director.

R: "At least he has the courtesy to _not_ leave blood on his brother's desk."

A: "Probably the best thing that dog _ever_ did."

E: "That would've been more _her_ doing, anyway. Did she _really_ just carry a severed head on a helicopter to him?"

S: "Eeyup."

A: "I don't think you can send _severed heads_ through the postal service, Eliza. You'd need a pretty decent courier service, at the very least."

R: "One with Yakuza ties, I would imagine."

A gun was pointed to the Kohai.

A: "...Oh yeah, the viral infection thing."

_Truth_ (05:45)

The scene cut as the gun fired.

E: "It was nice knowing her."

K: "The secretary _knew_ , as well."

A: "And now _Mayu_ knows a bit more, as well."

Nana kept on explaining.

S: "A _lot_ more, I would say."

As she showed off her hands, the scene cut back to the Institute.

A: "Oh does she have a _choice_ , now?!"

R: "At least while he has _questions_. He will not just let her _live_."

The Kohai keeled over, but she still had the will to say _something_ else.

E: "Yeah, just give the truth to the man who shot you dead."

Asuka, for her part, was utterly _baffled_ by the reason she _didn't_ want to die. "... _Really_? You just got shot and you're bleeding out, and you're concerned you didn't have _sex_?"

K: "She certainly had _priorities_ , didn't she?"

R: "I would not say they were _great_ last words, myself."

E: "At least she _had_ last words."

The Director revealed they may not _be_ her last words.

S: "I mean, it's better than _dying_."

A: "She might even have _sex_ before she gets her head torn off by a stray Diclonius."

R: "Hopefully she actually _consents_ to such thing."

_Hands_ _On_ (08:35)

K: "I'm sure _that_ would convince her."

A: "It'd convince her it wasn't a _dream_ , at least."

E: "That's not a _good_ thing."

S: "Now it depends what side _Mayu_ picks."

R: "Both sides have their merits, to Mayu."

A: "And of course, she can _say_ she never does bad things. According to _her_."

K: "I'm sure Kouta and Yuka would think otherwise."

On cue, Mayu expressed her own point of view.

R: "Indeed, _Nyu_. Even _Lucy_ has elements of this."

S: "It's all whether _Nana_ understands this."

E: "She understands _parts_ of it. While she _looks_ like Lucy, she can't _see_ Lucy in her."

A: "Multiple personalities are _wonderful_ , aren't they?"

The complex thoughts of Nana continued.

R: "There is _that_ , as well. Attacking Nyu is like attacking a _child_. And to someone who is against attacking _anyone_ , that would be seen as... _confronting_."

_The Fever_ (10:40)

K: "Not that _Nyu_ is even functioning at the moment."

S: "I have a feeling that fever is no ordinary fever."

A: "It _was_ onset by _Nana_ , wasn't it?"

E: " _Eventually_ , he'll _have_ to tell the truth to Yuka."

R: "He has _tried_. But _something_ always happens that stops him."

K: "Mental trauma can be _like_ that."

A: "Whatever the _Institute_ did to him probably counts for something as well."

_Lucy_ woke up.

S: "Well, we know Nana's sense _works_."

R: "...It looks like _Lucy_ is not currently hostile, however."

A: "I would _hope_. Otherwise that's _their_ lives cut short."

E: "We thought they'd be cut short by the _first_ _episode_."

Back to the Institute.

K: "I'm pretty sure we _got_ that from him, didn't we?"

S: " _Asuka_ certainly did."

A: "Rather _suspiciously_ _similar_ to our own world, isn't it."

R: "It is only the _forced evolution of humanity_."

E: "I mean, this was _exactly_ Seele's thoughts, wasn't it?"

K: "Essentially."

A: "At least it _sounds_ like Kuruma doesn't think the same."

S: "Sounds like he _has_ to, unless he wants to get _shot_."

The Director further explained.

E: "There's a _35_ now."

R: "You cannot deny they have _made_ a few."

K: "Perhaps _now_ , Kuruma would work to _undermine_ him."

_Another_ (13:00)

Lucy trudged away.

S: "Once again, they're lucky Lucy isn't _hostile_."

E: "Their chances of _living_ are dangerously low, however."

Lucy explained her plan, before promptly collapsing.

R: " _Nana's_ chances, perhaps."

K: "I would _think_ her relationship with those two counted for _something_."

A: "At least _Kouta_. And of course, this depends if she has the _energy_ for it."

K: "Which isn't exactly at _this_ moment, isn't it."

Lucy was once more relegated to the bed.

Which _conveniently enough_ , left Kouta with some alone time. "I like how she has to ask _Nyu_ not to do the weird stuff."

S: "It's like she _knows_ it's not Kouta starting it."

On the behest of Lucy's memory, a flashback started.

A: "This _is_ a flashback, right?"

R: "I would _think_ so. And _already_ , it appears to have been a _codification_ for Lucy's personality."

E: " _She_ was like Nana once, as well?"

S: "...Just _what_ happened to her to turn her into the Lucy we _know_?"

An air of concern in the room.

K: "...Nothing _good_ , I imagine."

Who they _assumed_ was Lucy found a dog.

A: "Though so far... her story seems similar to _Mayu_."

R: "That is not a _good_ thing."

_Elementary_ (16:10)

E: "They sent her to _school_?"

K: "I don't think _they_ knew of the _significance_ of those horns."

She was pushed down.

A: "Yeah, kids can be assholes sometimes."

R: "I would not _think_ that was the straw that broke the camel's back."

S: "...All this wouldn't _help_."

Kaworu sighed. "At least she had _someone_ willing to help her."

A: "Who looks _somewhat_ familiar."

R: "Lucy correctly identified _why_ some people do that, at least. I would not _think_ their family lives were any good, if _that_ is how they conduct themselves."

They saw her sneak out at night to play with her dog.

S: "Could... she be at an _orphanage_ or something?"

A: "It'd certainly _explain_ a few things."

E: "Does she _really_ want to say that, in a world like _that_?"

K: "Can't say it sets her up for anything good."

R: " _'If only I was stronger'_. Once again, a codification of herself."

A: "...I wonder if _that's_ all she really wanted."

_Phantom_ (18:50)

They saw her dream within the dream.

R: "When she realised she could use the _vector_."

She awoke to _handprints_ , plastered all over the walls.

A: "I'm sure _they_ realised that, as well."

K: "As mastery of the AT-Field is natural to a Nephilim, mastery of the _vector_ is natural to a _Diclonius_."

E: "At _this_ point, at least, she _still_ had to learn this."

They couldn't help but _snicker_ at what she _actually_ told her friend. "Ah, the priorities of the young." Asuka reminisced. "A shame I couldn't _experience_ such thing for too long."

S: "I mean, _I_ wouldn't want someone to bully my dog, if I had one."

E: "So when is something going to _ruin_ this for her?"

The bullies found the dog.

Flat looks to Eliza!Rei.

E: "In my defence, it was _inevitable_ at this point."

A: "I mean, I know _that_."

R: "If _they_ are orphans as well, that could explain the _background_ behind this abuse."

K: "The fact she's _different_ wouldn't help, either."

A: "I knew Japan is kinda _xenophobic_ , but _that's_ taking it to a whole new level."

S: "Can't say the same of _us_ , can you?"

A: "Oh _definitely_. I probably would've _beaten_ the xenophobia out of you."

E: "A part of me _doubts_ that would _reduce_ such feeling."

_Break_ (20:50)

The puppy was kicked to the wall.

And they could only watch in silent horror as the bullies _continued_ their abuse.

The sounds stopped.

Asuka was once again rueing the fact she couldn't throw _anything_ through a window, her fists tightly clenched.

E: "...Well. _That_ would do it." Eventually muttering.

And as was expected, Lucy... _dealt_ with them.

K: "Yes... that _would_ break her."

R: "And she has been carrying that to this day. If humanity is as abusive and deceitful as _they_ were..."

A: "...Then she would see it as the best thing. And... I mean, I know they were _kids_. But... _that's_ going _way_ too far."

R: "They say that people inclined to murder _animals_ to satisfy their own urges often go on to murder _humans_."

S: "I'm more concerned how those kids even _got_ to that state."

A: " _Obviously_ that orphanage was completely _horrid_ on them."

E: "Either way... can't say it's an _issue_ for them anymore, either way."

They saw as Kouta met Lucy.

S: "...Well, at least we know he doesn't die _here_."

The credits started rolling.

"Oh _come on_." Asuka muttered, "I actually wanted to _see_ how that meeting went."

"Not good for _either_ of them, in all likelihood." Rei surmised.

"Probably. But coming from _that_ horrid business."

"Yeah, that dog didn't deserve _any_ of that."

Grim snickering from the candle. "Good to see _you_ care as much for them as _we_ do."

"Either way. It looks like she's _remembering_ her connection to Kouta."

"We know _why_ she ended up like that, as well." Thought Shinji, a sense of mourning to him. "Though I still question _why_ she was at an orphanage to begin with. Since it _looks_ like she was of the same _stock_ as Nana."

"Perhaps a failed experiment in incorporating a Diclonius into society." Mused Kaworu.

"Maybe if society was a bit less _xenophobic_ towards horned individuals."

"At least you can say _Tokyo-3_ is more tolerant of such people." Wryly pointed out Shinji.

"Well, if Hiro and Zero Two were as _violent_ as Lucy, it wouldn't have been an issue for us for _too long_." Morbidly mused Asuka, as the preview played out. "...Though it looks like it _was_ an issue for Kouta."

"As has been _expected_." Quietly rueing.  "And... now we get to _see_ this."

A collective sigh from the remainder. "Well, this isn't gonna be good."

Their hopes lower than the Marianas Trench, the next episode began.

~~~

### 2.9: Reminiscence ~ Schöne Erinnerung

"So at the current moment, I am assuming something _similar_ will happen with Kouta."

"And _that's_ why he's so fucked up."

"We saw in the _preview_." Rei pointed out. "I am thinking Kouta does something that Lucy _interprets_ as being abusive, and... she responds in kind."

"And indeed, _that_ is what Lucy wanted to express to Kouta."

"Rather a _shame_ Nyu chose that time to come back."

"...Do you _think_ Kouta would respond... _well_ to finding that out?"

"Probably not, let's be honest." Asuka shrugged.

_Lilium_ (01:30)

K: "It's _indeed_ a beautiful melody."

A: "We've only _listened_ to it several times so far."

R: "We can assume the _name_ of the song, at least. _Lilium_."

S: " _That_ sounds similar."

K: "It is Latin for _Lily_. Such word was used in the _opening_ , as well."

E: "Evidently _describing_ Lucy as a Lily, I imagine."

A: "I mean, her name _starts_ with an _L_."

K: "Lillies are a symbol of innocence and virtue. You _could_ call Lucy as such; she has only done what she _feels_ she must do."

S: "It's a good thing she _likes_ it, then."

R: "Maybe we will get to hear _more_ of it."

Kouta's eyes were drawn to her horns.

A: "Good to see he's _always_ been rather blunt."

E: "Even _if_ it risks the continuity of his life."

R: "Not that _he_ would know."

K: "At the very least, we know _they_ survive this."

And he was soon drawn to _her_.

S: "...Yeah, that _would_ help his survival."

A: "Good thing he has a _thing_ for horns."

K: "And _this_ is why he feels what he feels towards Nyu. Even _if_ he doesn't _consciously_ know, you still _remember_ that."

The flashback version of Lucy flashed back.

R: "You can also see _why_ she is wary of such connection. She was already burned _once_."

E: "...Well, we know she _thinks_ she gets burned again, doesn't she?"

_Reminisce_ (03:40)

A: "Nice _Somy_."

The gathered snickered. "At least ARMS do not do _product placements_."

S: "Can't even say that of _our_ show. At least the _Theatricals_."

A: "I don't think _Pizza Hut_ would even _touch_ this show, Shinji."

As if to prove her point, they caught a young Lucy in the shower.

K: "I believe this proves your point, Asuka."

The light of the refrigerator illuminated the _former_ residents of the household Lucy was staying in, all of them somewhat more _deceased_ than what would be considered usual for the average family.

A: "You _believe_ , eh?"

The scene cut back to the forest, Lucy waiting for Kouta.

R: "I cannot _see_ Lucy eating pizza while on one of her... _sprees_."

E: "It wouldn't _surprise_ me if ARMS were as _morbid_ as that, however."

While Lucy _wanted_ to wait, the constabulary were hot on the trail of yet _another_ unfortunate circumstance.

A: "Pfft, _yeah_ we're trying to find a bloodthirsty killer and a missing girl, but it's _raining_."

R: "I think it is clear ARMS do not have a _good_ view of the police."

S: "Maybe the director got his car towed or something." Shinji shrugged. "Convenient for _Lucy,_ at least."

Despite what she was thinking, Kouta _did_ come back.

With a beanie.

R: "She _does_ look cute in that."

A: " _Everyone_ looks cute in a beanie, Rei. I'm sure _you_ would, as well."

R: "...Maybe I should get a Hertha one." She slightly blushed.

Asuka nudged the bluenette. " _That's_ the spirit, Rei!"

Eliza was more focused on the show.  "If only he knew."

K: "Lucy wouldn't tell him _now_. She just wants to be _normal_. And this was her best chance."

S: "...Well, we know she squandered _that_ , didn't she?"

_Rain Come Down_ (06:00)

And so they spoke, the rain bucketing down.

R: "Well _that_ is something we did not know of him."

K: "A rather _creative_ exercise. Painting your surroundings like that."

R: "I recall _you_ have dipped your toe into the arts, Kaworu."

Kaworu chuckled. "Simple woodcrafting, of a preexisting thing."

A: " _I'd_ still call that creative." A small smirk. "It's certainly better than _I_ can do in the arts, that's for sure. At least _outside_ of music."

S: "And Gods know _I_ certainly can't draw like _that_."

E: "I would say she seemed rather _tsundere_ to him."

A: "Pfft, I imagine utterly _despising_ humanity would cause that."

The two listened to the music box for a little while longer.

R: "We can say he was _smooth_ , at the very least."

A: "Even _while_ he was young, that sly dog." She couldn't help but smirk at this."

K: "...Am I the only one seeing a few _parallels_ to Hiro and Zero Two?"

A few beats to think.

S: "No, you're not the _only_ one." He seemed to realise.

A: "Well, we already _thought_ Lucy looked _somewhat_ similar to Zero Two, didn't we? Might as well add _more_ parallels to this shit!"

E: "A part of me _doubts_ Hiro and Zero Two would _appreciate_ such a work, if they end up seeing _themselves_ in it."

A: "If _they_ ended up dead in _their_ work, what chance would _those two_ have?"

R: "At the rate they are going? Zero."

_Play Again_ (07:35)

The police asked her to go home.

R: "I see a _slight_ issue with that."

A: "Bit _more_ than slight, I'd think."

So she found _a_ home, promptly clearing it out.

S: "...I mean, she did what the police _told_ her to do, I guess."

E: "I do not _think_ the police told her to _paint it with blood_ , however."

K: "Not the _best_ way of finding shelter for the night, I would think."

A few days later, she once more met with Kouta.

R: "And yet, around _him_... she is just like any other girl."

A: "You just gotta find the right person, eh Rei?"

R: "...Or _people_." A small smirk.

He decided to go to the _zoo_. "It _is_ kinda fun watching _dumb animals_ , as she calls them."

S: "I don't think _I've_ ever been to a zoo, myself."

A: "Really, Shinji?" Craning her head. "I'm guessing it's the same for _you two_ , as well?"

Nodding from the Nephilim.

A: "Well, ain't you guys lucky we're in _Berlin_! Home of one of the _greatest_ post-Impact zoos!"

Kaworu gave a smirk. "It'd make for a grand day out, I'm sure."

E: "...Of course, this has some _unfortunate implications_ for Lucy, doesn't it?"

_Elephant_ (09:40)

While she _was_ thinking that, she appeared to change her mind when she saw an _elephant_.

R: " _That_ does not look like a healthy environment for a being as intelligent as an _elephant_."

A: "And _other_ issues with that world."

Eliza looked _wary_. "...Are they _really_ that big?"

K: "First time seeing one, Eliza?"

E: "Y-yeah. They..."

It trumpeted.

She jolted.  "They're _strange_ , let's just go with that."

Rei couldn't help but giggle. "They can be rather _docile_ , if you do not annoy them."

S: "And of course, Lucy _pretends_ not to like this."

A: "She's a _tsundere_ , isn't she?"

They saw _another_ animal.  "What the hell is _that_?!"

R: "A giraffe. And yes, they _do_ have long necks like that."

K: "Not one for unique animals like that, Eliza?"

E: "Not... exactly. Maybe it's because they're something _unknown_." She thought.  "Makes my coding go haywire. I... should probably look into it." A slight blush.  "Especially if we're _planning_ on going to the zoo."

Her attention went back to the show.  "At least _she's_ enjoying her time with him."

_Walkabout_ (10:55)

Rei couldn't help but smile, as Lucy clasped his hand with both hers. "I... think it is evident she _likes_ him."

A: "Kinda like _Zero Two_. The _only_ person to have _ever_ shown her love and affection of _any_ sort, eh?"

S: "...Of course, _something_ happens to change it."

K: "Then again... I think she _still_ thinks she cannot be with him, due to her... nature."

E: "And if she didn't think that _before_. Then she certainly thought that _after_ this little flashback."

They listened into her thoughts.

A: "Of course, _that_ sort of thinking didn't help her case."

R: "...And she _knows_. She does not _want_ to kill, but her situation has convinced her she _must_."

K: " _Exactly_ her thoughts. Even to this day, you see _shades_ of that thinking."

S: "Is... it just a _thing_ with Diclonius? That they're more _susceptible_ to having multiple personalities?"

R: "They obviously had _something_ happen to their mind. Even the scale of the pineal gland is evidence to that. It... would not be surprising if that was a _side effect_."

E: "Lucy isn't the _only_ Diclonius to be like that, after all."

_Pool_ (12:25)

She was splashed.

A: "Now, does she _take_ this well?"

Kouta was laughing, but _she_ wasn't.

S: "I wouldn't _think_ so."

In reply, she _playfully_ pushed Kouta into the water.

K: "Well _that's_ a relief."

E: " _I_ certainly thought that would've been a _trigger_ , for her."

They couldn't help but giggle as this playfulness continued between the two.

R: "Of course, now their _clothing_ is wet."

A: "Ah, but _they_ had fun, at least."

E: "It's good to see Kouta's _always_ been _decent_ , when it comes to that."

S: "In all likelihood, he had it _drilled_ into him by Yuka."

K: "...Though a part of me can't help but wonder, what _does_ trigger her to... attack?"

Asuka thought. "Well... she doesn't want to be apart from him. What if... she thinks _that's_ the way?"

R: "...She _may_."

Shinji sighed. "At least she had _one_ day, in her sad life."

A: "Still not _great_ , but it wouldn't surprise me if they only _got_ one day of happiness in that world."

_Bus_ (14:30)

R: "You can see how her _relationship_ with him has influenced the _both_ of them, at the very least."

K: "Much like Hiro and Zero Two."

A: "Hell, even that _relationship_ between Yuka and Kouta, if you think of Yuka as _Ichigo_ you can see _some_ sort of link between _that_."

E: "I find it rather _fascinating_ , this show even _has_ such links to those two. Or at the very least, _parallels_."

S: "Their show is much less _violent_ , at the very least."

R: "It could be at times, mind you. It was much less _egregious_ in all aspects, however."

Lucy's head found her way to Kouta's chest.

K: "She's certainly been _blushing_ a lot during this, hasn't she."

A: "She _likes_ him, obviously." A small titter. "Always has."

E: "Rather a shame it _ended_ like it did."

R: "That is always rather... _annoying_. When you _know_ something bad will happen, but as it _already_ happened you cannot even _hope_ it will go well."

S: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time we had no hope during this. At least we _know_ not to get hopeful."

Indeed, Lucy's thoughts turned dark.

And so did the scene.

A: "Well, I might not have had _hope_. But I didn't expect her to be violent _now_."

R: "She does not _want_ to be violent, however."

Lucy issued her _ultimatum_.

E: "... _He_ won't be able to kill you, though."

K: "It... depends if she _lets_ him." As he felt an ache within him.

_Ocean_ (16:35)

S: "Man he doesn't let _anything_ phase him, does he?"

A: "She just had him in a _chokehold_ , and he just brushes it off like it was _nothing_! Like God damn I wish _I_ could just brush off stuff like _that_."

R: "I would not say it was _normal_ to brush off such thing."

E: "Even saying he had _fun_."

K: "I think he's proven himself _good_ at suppression. We know it was a situation like _this_ where he was _taught_ to do such thing."

And as they watched the sun set, they hummed Lilium.

R: "All in all, though, it _was_ a nice day."

A: "If we just forget the fact he almost _died_ , cause _he_ sure forgot about that!"

They were almost parted, but there was one more question.

E: "Asking whether or not she should be _jealous_."

A: "Even though they're a _cousin_."

S: "Didn't stop _Yuka and Kouta_ getting together."

And the answer he gave was _not_ what they expected.

R: "Quite possibly a _white_ lie. Easing her mind."

K: "She wouldn't see it as that."

E: "Well, it's a _good_ _thing_ she's seeing him off at the station, then. Remember, the last thing _Yuka_ knew of Kouta was that he was to go to the _station_."

K: "The conclusion is dreadfully obvious, then. _That_ was when Lucy went... well, _Lucy_."

S: "I thought Yuka didn't even _meet_ Lucy back then, though. So... I doubt it was _her_ she saw."

_Festival_ (18:00)

_Everyone_ gave Shinji an unamused look.

S: "I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut."

And yes, as _everyone expected_ , Lucy caught Yuka _hugging_ Kouta.

The man knocking her to the ground didn't help her ever increasingly fragile mental state.

K: "Yeah, that'll do it." He echoed.

As if to _reflect_ this fragile mental state, they delved into her ever maddening mind, with all the grotesque imagery to boot.

E: "Thing is, this is _not_ what he thinks."

R: "... _She_ does not know that. The mind can be rather... _horrifying_ at times."

A: "Especially one as rattled as _her_ mind."

S: "...Then again, that's just what _happens_ to the mind, when something like _that_ happens."

E: "The difference between her and _others_ where that happened, however, is her _vectors_."

K: "...And to think, if _we_ were as rattled as she was."

R: "Well... _Bond_ show us what can happen when a Nephilim goes _mad_."

A: "And so have ARMS."

S: "...And we know for a fact they'll show us _again_ , won't they."

R: "All because of a _misunderstanding_. But... there is a reason it is called the final _straw_. Even the _smallest_ of pressures can break a fragile mind."

A: "God knows _I_ can relate to that."

E: "At least some _versions_ of you."

Asuka shook her head. "Even _here_ , El. Were it not for some _good_ influences, I'd be in a _much more_ sorry state."

Turning back to the TV, as _another_ in Lucy's mind talked to her. "Though, as you can see... even _with_ good influences. It... really doesn't _take_ much to push someone."

S: "Even in _MFE_ , you can see that with someone as stable as _you_ seemed to be, Asuka."

A small nod. "Yeah... and was a _ball of sunshine_ in that. _Lucy_ is an emotionally crippled child that can kill with a thought."

_General Principle_ (20:30)

K: "It's not really _unsurprising_ , then. Why she became the person she became."

It cut back to the physical world, the people surrounding her not doing something silly like _helping_ her or _comforting_ her, no, they were instead _talking down_ to her and _scorning_ her.

A: "And they _really_ aren't helping her case! I can _literally_ count the amount of people even _willing_ to accept her on _one hand_!"

Eliza thought for a bit.  "Do _dogs_ count?"

A: "I'll be generous and say _yes_."

Another thought. "That's still _four_."

Lucy picked herself up off the ground, on the behest of a pink-nosed man in a singlet.

S: "I doubt _he's_ living much longer."

And so, Lucy made her decision.

The tumbleweed watched on at the massacre.

R: "...Few of them will live beyond this."

A: "What did we _think_ would happen, anyway? All of this could be traced back to those _bullies_ of hers."

K: "As has been said... that's what happens when someone _breaks_."

The flashback that lasted one and a half episodes finally ended, with a more cognisant Lucy.

E: "All we can really _hope_ for now is that she _realises_ this mistake of hers."

A: "Well, she hasn't _killed_ either of them. So _maybe_?"

Lucy and Nana met face to face.

And the episode ended.

"God damn it, they _know_ how to keep us coming back for more, don't they?"

"All the more vexing; this is the last episode of the disc, if the pattern is the same."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "I mean, at least we get a _break_."

"And we have more insight into her past." Mused Kaworu.

"And it was as traumatising as one expected." Rei rued. "Though this just raises _further_ questions. I was under the impression that Lucy was from the _Institute_. Therefore, this was either a failed experiment in naturalisation, or Lucy was a _natural_ Diclonius."

"Natural Diclonius _do_ seem to exist, in that world."

"I'd _think_ she was artificial." Thought Shinji. "She appears similar to Nana, of course. And I'm sure whoever _35_ is would match them, as well."

"It would not be the _first_ time the Institute was negligent." Muttered Rei.

As the preview played out.

"Oh, good to see _35_ is just as abused as all the other fucking Diclonius!"

Shinji sighed at this. "At least we get _some_ sort of break."

"...Yeah." Asuka to sighed, relaxing herself, thinking to glance at her phone. "Well, we got the rest of the day, at least." A small chuckle. "I think it _is_ a good idea we're watching these in the morning."

"Gives us some time to come down from all the _trauma_." Wryly remarked Shinji.

" _And_ it gives us ample opportunity to _distract_ ourselves from it."

"Speaking of, you guys wanna go out again?"

Shrugging. "We got _some_ business, don't we?"

"And we might as well dine out again." Thought Rei. "I imagine it will be fast food again."

"Well, we had Burger King _yesterday_. How about _Mäcces_?"

They craned their heads.

"McDonalds."

" _Ohhh_." They all replied in sync with one another, Shinji continuing, "Yeah _that_ might be alright."

"Can't say I've _had_ such food." Kaworu mused. "Then again, we never had food from Burger King either."

"Not like they _sell_ a vegetarian main."

"Or they even _exist_ in Japan to begin with. At least _McDonalds_ does." A huff, as he tended to the Playstation, and as everyone else got up to get decent. "Second Impact came and went and they're _still_ a global brand."

"I'm sure _you_ would've preferred KFC stuck around."

"With how Misato _idealises_ their chicken, yeah."

* * *

## 3\. Come Down

Hiro and Zero Two's impromptu training, needless to say, took some time.

It's almost like learning how to actually _pilot_ an Evangelion was complicated. Go figure.

And needless to say, after a long day of this training, Operation Clean Up duty was delayed to the _next_ day. Zero Two personally hoped it was at a more _decent_ time.

They managed to get _some_ decent data from it, at the very least, Ritsuko checking over Zero Two in her lab. "You two spent around 10 hours all up synchronised. Are there any... _issues_ you two can feel?"

A slight chuckle from a noticeably _tired_ Zero Two. "It's... a lot more _exhausting_ than I remember."

Pursed lips. "Asuka seems rather lethargic as well, after their simulated sorties." In her mind and on paper, she speculated. "Do _you_ feel that way, Hiro?"

A shrug. "No more than would be considered _usual_ , Subcommander."

"Hmm." Further writing. "Perhaps being the soul position of an Evangelion is more _exhausting_ than usual."

"I mean... it _is_ like I'm _becoming_ the Evangelion." Zero Two ticked through. "I imagine _that'd_ be pretty... _strenuous_. Hey, where's Maya?"

"Finding a Zip disk drive." A small huff. "Don't suppose _you two_ want to join us, as well?"

Zero Two, for all her exhaustion, was still able to raise an eyebrow at this remark.

To which Ritsuko showed them two particular Rift materials. "Came through a few days ago. Might as well add _more_ people to it."

"Who's... joining?"

"At the moment, Kensuke and his birds and us. It wouldn't surprise me if _Hikari_ joins us as well, since _Kensuke's loose lips_ told her about the existence of Rift materials."

"I thought she'd _know_ by now." Hiro mused. "Being a _pilot_."

"We never thought it _necessary_ to subject her to it, but I suppose it was only a matter of time." Shrugging. "She's watching the Laserdiscs on Saturday; you could join her if you finish Clean Up in a reasonable time."

"We've seen it _once_ , Ritsuko." Muttered Zero Two. "I'd... rather not see it a _second_ time."

"Fair." She conceded. "Either way, we'll text you if we get it ready."

A small sigh. "You two are dismissed. Report to us at 1000 hours tomorrow; we'll give you two _some_ rest. Looks like _you_ in particular need it, Zero Two."

"Much appreciated, Subcommander." The pinkette lethargically responded, before they both left the lab.

Leaving Ritsuko alone. "Well, at least I have some time to read these damn discs." She muttered to herself, going back to Misato's Powerbook, the Firewire DVD drive still connected.

It took her all of _two minutes_ to get her program running and ripping DVDs, compared to her suffering of _yesterday_.

Her head impacted the keyboard of the terminal, which evidently didn't like it too much as it beeped incessantly at her. "Gods damn it. It's _always_ a semicolon, isn't it."

~

The lights flickered on. "Oh good... we left the futon out."

"Should I cook some dinner, Zero Two?"

"I... wouldn't mind."

She managed to get to the futon at least, before flopping down.

"...Geez, that really _did_ tire you out, didn't it."

He sat down next to her, running his hand through her hair.

Her head turned, looking up towards him. "I promise I won't get angry at you if you wake me up for dinner, darling."

Hiro couldn't help but give a warm smile. "I won't take _too_ long, Zero Two."

It didn't take too long for him to get to the kitchenette, rummaging through the fridge and the pantry. "I'm sure _you_ don't want to spend _too_ long without me in bed, anyway." He slyly remarked.

Zero Two was able to muster a small giggle at least, before sleep took her.

"...Heh."

His warm smile remained, as he decided to whip up a pork ramen recipe Shinji offered him. A decent dinner was needed, he thought. Not like their _lunch_ was anything significant, after all. Or breakfast, for that matter.

~

It was a pleasant surprise, they thought, that Carmen was waiting outside their townhouse. "Ah, I see you lot are _preparing_ for tomorrow?"

Indeed, the Tumbleweed were currently dressed to the nines in _Hertha_ regalia. "You look kinda cute in that, Rei."

She blushed. Asuka was _right_ about the beanie, it seems.

"Was always a _Köln_ girl, myself. Hell, _their_ game's today."

"I'm guessing _you're_ going to that?"

"You bet I am." A smirk, scratching the back of her head. "They... haven't been having the _best_ season, admittedly. But still, gotta barrack for your team, eh?"

"Not that we specifically _have_ a team." Mused Rei. "Not really _knowing_ about German soccer."

"Football." Asuka corrected.

"Football." Carmen corrected.

"Well, it's _Asuka's_ team, isn't it? That's all _I_ need to know to support it."

A slightly bashful smile from the candle.

"So how's that show of yours going? _Still_ as violent as usual?"

"Eeyup."

"Then I won't ask further." Immediately concluding, taking out a _pocket watch_. "Well, if we're gonna make it to Cologne in time, I should probably get going."

"... _We're_?" Kaworu noted.

"Eheh, you _bringing_ someone with you, Carmen?"

Her eyes glancing to her right, she had a small smile on her face. "...Randy."

A _giggle_ from the redhead. "Ah! I should've _known_ you liked him!"

"What can I say." She was still smiling, thinking about him. "I like him. He likes keeping it _professional_ at NERV; a good thing we have _plenty_ of _off hours_."

Rei thought about it. "Is he particularly... _mature_?"

"Oh he's not _that_ old." Rolling her eyes. "Plus, men are like a fine wine or a good cheese. They get _better_ with age." A small giggle, as she got in her Audi TT. "You lot are pretty _lucky_ you're still young, eh?"

"Well, I'm sure if we see you _limping_ to us tomorrow, we'll know if _you_ got lucky."

She _wanted_ to bite the bottom of her lip, but she was able to resist the urge in front of the Tumbleweed. "Hehe. You lot have fun now, alright?"

The roadster sped away, the engine audibly kicking in a short distance from them.

Leaving the _somewhat_ rattled Tumbleweed in its wake. "Well. _That_ is an interesting thought." Concluded Rei.

"I'm sure you _would_ find it interesting, Wondergirl."

"You were the one to prod her, Asuka."

"So... she's with the person we _think_ is Ritsuko's father."

"If anything, we know Randall might be _old_ enough to be Ritsuko's father."

"He's old enough to be _her_ father."

A huff from Rei. "We should not be casting stones ourself, now. Plus, as long as they _love_ one another. And... at least judging by _her_ reaction, _she_ certainly appreciates him."

"I imagine it's rather _mutual_ , in this case. If she was this _audible_ over him."

"Well, if anything, this should give _all_ of us an excuse, eh?"

Chuckling at Asuka's prodding, as they went back to their abode, perfectly content with a slow end to the day.

"And yeah you _do_ look cute in that, Rei!"

The blush returned at Asuka's complement.

~

Being an FC Köln supporter in this day and age was suffering. But hey, they _almost_ won. And against _Dortmund_ of all teams! _That_ counts for something!

Oh well, there was always _next_ round, Carmen thought, as she kicked off her shoes in a familiar Cologne hotel suite. "Ahh, es ist schon eine Weile her, seit wir _hier_ waren, Randy."

("Ahh, been a while since we've been _here_ , Randy.")

He held a small smirk, trailing shortly behind as she let her hair down. "Ich erinnere mich, als wir das _letzte_ Mal hier unten waren, haben sie _gewonnen_."

("I remember _last_ time we were down here, they _won_.")

"Oh, _hör auf_ , Randy."

("Oh _stop it,_ Randy.") She pouted. "Als wir das letzte Mal gegen Dortmund antraten, wurden wir völlig zerstört, oder?"

(" _Last_ time we faced Dortmund, we got completely _destroyed_ , didn't we?")

"Ich denke, Dortmund wird dann _schlampig_."

("I think Dortmund is getting _sloppy_ , then.")

The pout continued for a bit.

Before turning into a warm smile. "...Ah verdammt. Ich kann dir nicht böse sein, Randy."

("...Ah damnit. I can't stay mad at you, Randy.")

Indeed, it didn't take long before her arms wrapped around her man, leaning down to meet her lips.

"Wie es scheint, habe ich offenbar diese Wirkung auf Frauen."

("I do seem to have that effect on women.") He dryly thought.

To her barked laugh, "Ich schwöre, es sind deine verdammten _smaragdgrünen Augen_."

("I swear it's those damn _emerald eyes_ of yours.") As she looked right into them. "Ich kann nicht sagen, dass ich sonderlich viele Menschen mit solchen gesehen habe."

("Can't say I've seen too many people with them.")

"Sie sind häufiger als du denkst, Carmen."

("They're more common than you'd think, Carmen.") A sharp chuckle, his finger running around her own. "Das heißt natürlich nicht, dass _deine_ Augen weniger atemberaubend sind."

("Of course, that doesn't mean _your_ eyes are any less stunning.")

Her laugh was more subdued this time around, _now_ allowing herself to bite her lower lip. ("Alsooo~o, willst du dein Mädchen _aufheitern_?"

("Soo~o, you wanna _cheer up_ your girl?")

"Ich glaube du kennst die Antwort schon."

("I think you know the answer to that already.")

"Heh. Nur die gleiche Antwort wie in den letzten Jahren, vermute ich mal."

("Heh. Only the same answer as the past few years, I imagine.")

Once more, their lips met.

Carmen let herself shudder, as her paramour began making quick work of her clothing. "W-Weißt du, ich sollte dir einfach einen Ring anstecken, oder?"

("Y-you know, I _should_ just put a ring on you, should I?")

A low chuckle, and a smirk, "Du hast mich _schon_ vor Jahren für dich beansprucht, Carmen. Was hast du gesagt, als wir uns das erste Mal trafen?"

("You _already_ claimed me years ago, Carmen. What was it you said when we first came together?")

"Aheh, _'Wenn du mir untreu bist,_ schneide ich sie ab'."

("Aheh, _'If you're unfaithful to me, I'll_ cut them off'.")

"Nun, wenn _das_ nicht Ehe ist, weiß ich nicht, was es sonst sein sollte."

("Well if _that_ isn't marriage, I don't know what is.")

A small giggle, especially as his hands _drifted_ across her. "Es sollte mich nicht überraschen, dass du nicht gerade der Typ für so etwas bist, was?"

("Shouldn't be surprised you're not exactly one for such thing, eh?")

"Vielleicht mein _jüngeres_ Ich."

("Maybe my _younger_ self.") A small smirk, the two finding the way to the bed.

"Also, nachdem du rund 35 Jahre lang so warst, hast du beschlossen, mich zu behalten?"

("So after your, what, _35 years_ of such thing, you decided to keep _me_ , eh?")

"Es ist _schön_ mit dir Carmen."

("You _are_ rather nice to be around, Carmen.") Him over her, his hand drifted through her auburn hair and down her face. "Ja, auch _außerhalb_ des Schlafzimmers. Es würde mir sicher nichts ausmachen, an deiner Seite zu bleiben."

("Yes, including _outside_ the bedroom. _I_ certainly wouldn't mind staying by your side.")

Carmen softly smiled. "Ja... das zähle ich als Antrag."("Yeah... I'll count that as a proposal.")

Her arms drifted up and around him, and she dragged him down to her, lips locking.

No more words were said.

~

Asuka offered but a purr, as she once more snuggled deep into _someone_. "Y'know, Kaworu? You're not bad."

"A _glowing_ review."

She poked her tongue out. "I'm sure I can get you _trained up_ on my own hardware. Think of it like piloting a different Evangelion, eh?"

They both chuckled at this analogy.

"Though... in all seriousness, Kaworu." As she nestled herself into her usual spot. "...I can certainly get _used_ to this." Her voice was rather _quieter_ than usual. "You're... good to be around, y'know."

"I could say the same for you, Asuka."

She couldn't help but giggle, as Kaworu ran through her hair. "Looks like Bond had a point then."

"It helps we _already_ had a strong relationship."

"Well, _yeah_. Didn't think it'd get _this_ far, but I suppose that's _another_ thing we can thank Bond for."

A huff. "They _did_ show us we _could_ work together."

"And would'ja look at that, they were _Goddamn right_."

Once more, they both chuckled.

"So... I guess that means I have _another_ to love and get close with." Her smile was warm. "Though who am I kidding, I've certainly... _appreciated_ what you did for me."

"We weren't going to leave you for dead, Asuka."

"...I know. But..." She sighed. "Damn it, Kaworu. How many times have you and Rei saved our asses? It's like _five or six times_ at this point."

"All because we love you, Asuka."

A brief pause.

"...Heh. Yeah. You... _do_ all love me, do you?"

But a nod. "Even if the love between you and I was that of _friendship_."

"Well, I suppose _congratulations_ are in order, then." She adjusted herself, looking towards him. "I'd say you graduated from _close friend_ of mine to _lover_ of mine."

He gave a small smirk. "It's a nice title, if I say so myself."

"Heh. C'mere, you dumb fish~"

They gently met for a short while.

Before disengaging on Asuka's behest, still holding herself close. "Well... _we_ were rather successful." A small giggle. "Can'ya see how our _other_ halves are doing together?"

"Not _see_ , per se."

"Ah you know what I mean. _Hear_ ; that better?"

The Nephilim felt amused at the correction, tuning in to the next room.

A quiet symphony of love, twinged by a spot of melancholy. "I... think she appreciates it. Though I believe her _finally_ getting to be with Shinji is... _touching_ , for her."

"Heh. She's probably the _first_ of us to love him, eh?"

Kaworu tittered, giving a single nod. "Makes sense, then."

"I _know_ she'll appreciate this, Kaworu." She settled back into his chest. "I'm... kinda glad we were able to give her that opportunity."

"Gives _us_ the opportunity for such thing as well."

A snort. "Yeah. Good thing about us being _four_ ; no one gets left out. And... I wouldn't _mind_ if we kept to this sort of schedule once we got back from our vacation. Probably modify it to fit in a week, but... I kinda like the variety, myself."

His eyebrow raised. "I know _no one_ would complain about spending a night with _any_ of us."

"Exactly _my_ thinking. We're... _all_ rather comfortable with one another now. Though I know for a fact Misato would _not_ allow us to sleep in a _pile_ together."

A chuckle. "Maybe that could be for Saturday nights." He speculated, continuing his comfort of Asuka. "We can fit two of those _cycles_ in a week, and the remainder... well, you can always claim you two were _sleeping over_ at our place."

"It almost sounds like you've been _thinking_ about it, Kaworu."

"We've had some time to, haven't we?"

A snort. "Fair enough."

Comfortable quiet descended in the room, Asuka enjoying the steady beats her paramour of the night provides. "...Y'know." Softly musing. "I was somewhat expecting you and Rei to be a bit... _different_. Being Nephilim, and that."

"Rather understandable. Not like you _laid_ with a Nephilim before."

She snickered. "I can scratch _that_ off the bucket list, at least. _And_ sleeping with an Angel, while I'm at it."

He too laughed. "Not _many_ people can claim such thing. In fact, _all_ the people who can claim such thing are in this very house."

Continuing to drift. "We may have the properties of our respective Progenitors, but... we are still rather _human_ , all in all. Even _with_ my status as Adamite, my body has _always_ been Lilim."

Asuka gave an intrigued titter. "Well, I can claim this as a _learning experience,_ at least." As she nuzzled further. "Though... you and Rei _are_ rather... _warm_."

"Shinji said such thing as well."

"...Heh. It's... nice."

She began to lull. "...Love ya, Kaworu."

"I love you too, Asuka."

One more small chuckle. " _That_ was... pretty _easy_ for us, eh?"

Kaworu didn't have to answer, as Asuka quickly fell asleep.

But a warm smile, as he answered anyway. "It's because it's _true_ , Asuka."

~

It was quite a bit more quiet in the _other_ bedroom. "...Shinji."

He glanced up. "Yeah, Rei?"

"Do you want to know how long I've... _loved_ you for?"

"Quite a while." He surmised, drifting his hand through her hair. They were getting rather _good_ at that, he thought in amusement. "Since _Ramiel_ , at least."

She offered a demure nod. "Yeah... that's when it _really_ started. But... I could not. Not until you and Asuka... _helped_ me."

"And you ended up falling in love with _both_ of us." He quietly chuckled. "Then Kaworu came along."

"And we all fell in love with him." She looked through the room. "...Yeah, we _all_ fell in love with him."

Shinji gave a huff of content, wrapping arms around her. "I take it you... _enjoy_ our time together, then."

Rei couldn't help but glance away at this affection. "...Yes. Even _with_ our... _status._ "

"Well... you're an _Ayanami_. We can always use the _cousin_ defence."

A beat.

Before a soft giggle. "Looks like that show gave us something _other_ than trauma."

"It's about the only _good_ thing it gave us."

Another giggle. "Well... perhaps we can say the... _extreme_ nature of the show has drawn us closer."

Shinji craned his head for a further explanation.

"It is... _traumatising_ , of course. What better than the... _company_ of who we are closest with to salve ourselves?"

The boy glanced up and down at here form. "Yeah, that explains the... _enthusiasm_ , at least."

"But going back to your previous question... yes. I..."

She briefly paused, looking up to him with glistening eyes. "...I never thought I would _ever_ be able to get this... _close_ with you, Shinji. It's... a good thing I found Kaworu."

"You love him as much as _all_ of us. Same as me. Hopefully the same as _Asuka_ , now."

"With... how _much_ we've been through together, Shinji." Quiet. "When I... _died_ , to Armisael. _He_ was the last person I saw."

A look of melancholy on Shinji, as he thought to hold her closer. "If _that's_ not love. And... you did that out of love for _us_ , didn't you? No greater love and that."

The smallest of nods, as she buried herself deeper into him. "I'm... glad we can do this, Shinji."

"Well... I already said to Kaworu I wouldn't mind... _continuing_ this. After our vacation. It wouldn't surprise me if Asuka was planning that out, actually."

Rei paused to contemplate this. Being able to spend _more_ time with the ones she loves.

"...I wouldn't mind that, Shinji."

She went quiet, choosing simply to bask in his embrace and his touch.

Shinji, too, was content with gently comforting his paramour of the night.

"...You're a good person, Shinji."

"...Heh. Did I treat your sis well, Eliza?"

"I'd say." A small chuckle.  "Hell, _all of you_ have. You... really _do_ love her, don't you?"

"Yeah. K-kinda obvious, isn't it?"

"Don't worry. _I_ approve of you, Shinji."

He couldn't help but feel amused at this. "I'm honoured to be _worthy of your grace_ , Eliza."

She rolled her eye, allowing Rei to take back control after a beat. "...Me again, Shinji."

They both held a small smile, before Rei took her chance to peck Shinji. "I... think our tumbleweed will work."

"You won't see _me_ complain about that." A light laugh. "So... it'd be the end of this cycle tomorrow."

"Since... we _all_ work together, now..." Trailing off into thought.

Before a small smirk grew on her. "Perhaps we will become a _pile_ , tomorrow night."

"It'd be rather... _cozy_ , I imagine." Thought Shinji. "Even with _one_ other, it's pretty _snug_ in these beds."

"It _encourages_ us getting comfortable with one another, at the very least." Readjusting herself, as if to give an _example_ of this comfortable nature. "I... certainly would not mind spending a night with _all_ of the ones I love."

"You and me both, Rei." _He_ chose that opportunity to peck Rei. "...You and me both."

* * *


	4. Evalied 4

* * *

## 1\. Knock Knock Knockin’

Heaven's Door opened.

NT-Unit-00, still only half clad in its white and blue armour, walked in. Their footsteps echoed through the chasm, the Lance of Longinus in both hands. "Yeah, that's just as horrifying as I thought it'd be."

_"According to Rei, she's actually rather_ docile _."_ The Commander radioed in. _"Keeps asking her for_ babies _, though. I swear she_ deliberately _tries to undermine me."_

Hiro laughed. "I suppose she _is_ your Progenitor, after all."

_"Yeah, but I'm trying to keep my charges_ without _children; preferably until they're as old as_ their folks _were, but I know_ realistically _I can't do much once they turn twenty."_ Audibly shrugging. _"As long as they aren't_ teenage parents _, I'll count that as a victory against God herself."_

Hiro would've yakked on further with the Commander, had he not noticed the _surface_ their feet were on had changed.

So NT-Unit-00 glanced around.

Finding the dilapidated ship, shards of red scattered around. "... _That's_ new. Was... _that_ what Rei found?"

The Commander audibly sighed over the radio. _"Yeah. Just another testament to my failures, I suppose."_

"...Commander?"

_"Just... get it done, Hiro."_ Her melancholy was rather _noticeable_ to the Klaxosaur.

He didn't ask further. "Alright. So... we just shove this in her?"

_"Yeah. That's where it usually goes."_

"Huh. Alright."

NT-Unit-00 went into a prime position, holding the Lance above them, facing it towards the body of Lilith.

At least until NT-Unit-00 _froze_.

Including Hiro's link. "...Zero Two?"

_"P-Sync has dropped_ significantly _; what's going on with her Hiro?"_

"I'm trying to find that out myself." _Some_ panic began to surface. "Zero Two?!"

" I I'm _here_ , darling. " An eventual response, a semblance of control returning to NT-Unit-00. " I'm... fine, I think. "

He couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief. "What... what happened there, Zero Two?"

" I... think she _spoke_ to me? "

He furrowed his brow, "What... did she say to you?"

" That we were... _interesting_. " She herself sounded _confused_ with the choice of words. " And she was keeping her eyes on us... "

Hiro repeated her thoughts verbatim, for the convenience of Central Dogma, who were _of course_ listening in.

_"...Well. This is going to be an interesting debrief."_ The Commander flatly surmised. _"P-Sync is returning to the previous baseline. Can you two continue the operation?"_

" Yes, Commander. "

"Yes, Commander."

_"Alright. Continue."_

NT-Unit-00 re-steadied itself, and firmly thrusted the Lance deep into the body of Lilith.

_"The Subcommander reports latent metaphysical energies of Terminal Dogma have reduced. I'm saying that's operation concluded."_

"Good to hear we _finally_ succeeded in being janitors." A wry remark from Hiro.

" Hey, we gotta start _somewhere_ , darling! "

A laugh and a smile. "Fair enough, Zero Two."

_"Get yourselves back to Central, you two. Debrief after you two get washed up."_

"Roger, Commander."

NT-Unit-00 began the journey back.

" ...Hey darling? Can you ask Misato where _Hikari_ is at with her watch? "

Another small chuckle. "Zero Two wants to know where _Hikari's_ at."

_"Well, she's watching the Laserdiscs, as you know. I... hey Rits?"_

The line fell quiet, as they assumed she was asking someone _else_ for this information.

_"Maya said she's just getting started with episode 10. The Magmadiver one."_

" Oh _that_ one. "

_"You two might be able to catch the rest of it, if you want."_

"We had our reservations about that _already_ , Commander."

_"Ah, so you_ want _Hikari to suffer alone."_ She prodded the two.

The two paused.

" Damnit she's _guilt tripping_ us! "

"When you put it _that_ way, Commander." He sighed.

_"That's the spirit!"_

" Damnit it _worked_! "

~

The debrief was rather surprisingly quick for the two Klaxosaurs. Even _with_ Zero Two's little... _conversation_ with Lilith, all Ritsuko could summarise was that Lilith was _interested_ with them.

I.e., _pretty much what she said_.

So it didn't take too long before they joined Hikari and Maya. "So how goes the suffering?"

A small sigh. "I can definitely see _shades_ of all that, you two. But... it doesn't seem too bad so far."

Zero Two's response was a snort, as they took their seats.

"Well _that's_ not a good omen." Muttering. "Is the Subcommander not joining us?"

"Sempai is with Kensuke, trying to get _Whistler_ working."

~

"What do you _mean_ it doesn't support SCSI?"

"I'm not saying it _doesn't_." Kensuke pointed out. "I'm just saying it requires _drivers_ for it."

"Kensuke, that means it _doesn't support SCSI_."

"Well _I_ didn't know the Magi _only_ did SCSI! How do you even _get_ protocols like that to work with _brains_?"

~

"...Yeah, they're probably gonna take a while." Maya scratched the back of her head.

Hikari sighed, as Magmadiver came to an end. "...Y'know something? After seeing all _this_ , I can see _why_ Shinji and Asuka collided like they did. I _really_ should've seen it earlier."

"D'ya think it's kinda _weird_ , seeing yourself like that?"

"Not just _myself_ , my _younger_ self. I _really_ needed to lighten up some."

"Well, at least you have _Toji_ to help with that."

It was _Hikari_ that scratched the back of her head this time. "Yeah. I suppose some of his delinquency rubbed off on me."

"Not that _you_ seem to mind."

"Oh _Gods no_ , Zero Two!"

Maya simply listened on to this conversation, pensive. She knew well _what_ was to happen with Toji.

But that would be spoiling things.

~

Five individuals stood over the Ikari family tombstone, freshly engraved with the name of another. "I... suppose we need some ink for _your_ name now, Yui."

It grimly amused her, in a way. At least until she noticed yet _another_ name. "I'm... more surprised you put _Gendo_ there, as well." She quietly thought. "I... know how much you disliked him."

"It was more for _your_ sake, than anything. He was still an Ikari, whether I liked it or not. Same as our father."

"...I appreciate it."

Yet another mournful silence.

No one but these five individuals were involved in the various funeral arrangements, excluding the priests. Even then, it was mostly out of a sense of tradition.

"...Well." Alicia soon began. "It's one less mouth to feed."

Grim chuckling from all the gathered. "I take it you guys never really... _liked_ him?" Queried Kyoko.

"The only reason why I'm even showing him _this_ much respect is because he was my father." Tomoe remarked. "Whether I like it or not."

"...Can _I_ speak my mind about him?"

"Everyone else has, Ann." Her mother pointed out. "We won't berate you for _that_."

Yet another pause.

"...I never liked him." A sigh. "I didn't even know I _had_ a living grandparent until he showed up."

"Not the greatest example of humanity, right Annette?"

"Needless to say, Aunt Yui..." Shaking her head. "He was always rude and bitter towards me. Of course I couldn't just _stop_ helping."

Alicia simply shook her head. "He was always like that. I'm... sorry we had to put through through that, Ann."

She shrugged. "It's alright... he was still family. Even _if_ he was a complete asshole."

The mother huffed. "I'll let you off on that one."

Another moment of silence.

"...Well. No point burning daylight." Tomoe concluded, readjusting his tie.

With few words, the gathered made the short trek back to the Ikari family car, a Suzuki Wagon R. Despite it being a Kei car, it ironically had _more_ space than Yui's Corolla. "Do you guys want to go out somewhere for lunch? Help us get this business off our minds and that."

"I... wouldn't mind that, big brother."

Yui and Kyoko squeezed in the back, Annette in between them. "So... are you sticking around for a bit, Aunt Yui?"

A small nod. "Yeah. There's... still quite a bit to catch up on, isn't there. Especially with _you_." A warm smile.

To her slight blush. "...You sure missed out on quite a bit."

"Well, we _were_ dead for a while, Annette." Kyoko pointed out.

"...I'm _still_ kinda confused how that works."

~

On the other side of the world, a candle began to stir.

" _Guten Morgen_ , Asuka."

Even with her being half asleep, she was able to pick up on the words. Giving off a small smile. "mmm... Guten Morgen, Kaworu."

Her head craned towards his golden eyes. "S'how long have you been awake for?"

"An hour, I think."

A tired giggle. "And... you've just been waiting for me to wake up."

Nodding. "Rei taught me not to disturb a girl in her sleep."

"By throwing you through a wall, I imagine."

He chuckled. " _Threatening_ to throw me through a wall."

"Well, it _worked_. And... I appreciate it."

She sighed. "I'm guessing our other halves aren't awake yet."

He briefly focused elsewhere. "From the looks of it." Before going for his phone. "...Heh. It's rather early anyway."

The time was showed to Asuka, who indeed tittered. "I doubt they're waking up for a while, then."

Her hand traced over his chest. "Would you complain if we took this to the couch?"

"And have someone _find_ us?"

"The _only_ person I _would_ mind finding us is Carmen. And she's currently several hours away in _Cologne_ , probably having done the exact same thing as _we_ did."

He chuckled. "Sounds like to _me_ you wouldn't mind our other halves finding us in a _compromising_ position."

"We've already been with _all_ of them, Kaworu." A flat stare. "I don't think we can get any _more_ compromising."

"Heh. Touche."

It didn't take _too_ much effort for the two to hop up from their bed, and sneaking down the stairs.

They were a bit _more_ than surprised when they found _Rei and Shinji_ down there, sitting on the couch.

Rei was rather unfazed, couldn't say the same for _Shinji_. "Fancy seeing _you two_ down here this early." Rei slyly remarked.

Asuka responded to this by waltzing up to the two and _kissing_ them, individually.

Which _still_ didn't help Shinji's sheer embarrassment.

"I'm more surprised how you managed to _mask_ yourselves." Kaworu couldn't help but chuckle.

"You know well how the AT-Field can be manipulated."

"Of course, " Eliza butted in,  "You should have anticipated _those two_ might _want_ to do the same thing."

"Perhaps." A small smile, as she got up from the couch. "Well, since we're all _awake_ , we might as well have breakfast."

All Shinji could do was nod dumbly.

~

The lot actually _modest_ for once, they ate their breakfast. It wasn't really anything _specific_ , it was more Shinji making do with the various ingredients and leftovers he had on hand.

"We _have_ been thinking about such thing." Kaworu mused.

Didn't help his embarrassment, however.

"That all depends if Shinji doesn't faint from all the blood rushing to his face."

A titter from Asuka, as she got up from her chair and towards Shinji, her arms wrapping around her partner. "Didn't expect us to catch you, I take?"

"...No, not exactly." Still as incandescent as a stop light.

To which Asuka responded with yet _another_ kiss, keeping herself close to him. "At least _Kaji_ didn't catch ya this time, Shin-chan." A small smirk. "Remember that?"

"...Don't exactly have a good _reputation_ when it comes to couches."

"Heh."

Her kiss was gentle. It was certainly _helping_ , she noticed; looking over him as she rested her forehead on his. "I'm glad you two work together, Shinji." A genuine smile. "You know how much she loves us, don't ya?"

He nodded.

"You all know rather _well_ , by now." Remarked Rei.

To which Asuka chuckled. "Still... you shouldn't feel bad for wanting to love her like you do me, Shinji. Or Kaworu, for that matter."

"It... doesn't reduce our-"

Her finger rested on his lips, silencing him. "Not at all. _I_ certainly still love you as much as I have. And I know since you're reacting like this that _you_ still love me as much as you have."

Another small nod.

"So... don't let that stop you, okay?"

"...Okay."

A small smile. "That's the spirit."

As if to encourage him further, her lips met with his for a good while.

All the while Kaworu and Rei continued to nonchalantly eat breakfast. "I didn't know we were getting a _show_ as well."

Rei giggled at Kaworu's prodding. "Cut them _some_ slack, fish. It _has_ been a few days since they've been _together_."

"Suppose this was to be _expected_ , then." He couldn't help but smile, as he continued with breakfast.

"Should we _ruin_ this with the rest of Elfen Lied?" Eliza suggested.

"Eventually. When they eventually separate."

A few minutes passed.

"I don't think they're separating." She deadpanned.

" _I_ am not separating them." Rei concluded. "I _encourage_ such love, after all."

"As befits Lilith." Prodded Kaworu. "And Rei _has_ warned me against separating those two."

"So... what should _we_ do?"

Rei gave a knowing glance to Kaworu, tugging on their link. "Those two have the kitchen, _we_ will have the couch."

"...Well, _I_ won't complain about that."

Kaworu couldn't help but smirk, especially as Rei grabbed him by the collar.

~

On the other side of Germany, it was only now the sun was creeping through the curtains that a particular auburn haired woman began to stir.

The smell of breakfast certainly helped. "... mmhm, was hast du bekommen, Randy."

("...mmhm what did you get, Randy.")

"Currywurst."

Carmen couldn't help but giggle, as she heard two plates and cutlery drop on the nearby table. "Ich hatte aber _letzte Nacht_ Wurst."

("I had sausage _last night_ though.")

A deep laugh from the head of Project E. "Ich _wusste_ , dass du das Wortspiel machen würdest."

("I _knew_ you'd make that pun.")

"Das Wortspiel war zu gut, um es nicht zu machen, Randy."

("It was too good a pun _not_ to make, Randy.") She turned her head to the smell, shifting her birds nest of bed hair from her vision.

To her slight disappointment, Randall was _dressed_. "Ich wollte so nicht an die Tür, als der Zimmerservice kam, Carmen."

("I wasn't going to answer the room service like _that_ , Carmen.")

A sigh, as she slipped out of the bed and to the table. "Zumindest gibt _mir_ das einen Grund, anzugeben."

("At least that gives _me_ an excuse to show off.")

As if to show her point, she _stretched_.

Right before _stabbing_ the Currywurst with her fork and taking a _large_ bite out of it, tearing into it like she were a shark.

She took _great_ joy in seeing her paramour's _wince_. " _Das_ hätte ich auch wissen müssen."

("I should've known _that_ , as well.")

"Das ist dafür, mich dazu zu bringen, das Wortspiel zu machen!"

("That's for making me make that pun!") She proudly mumbled, before getting it down. "Trotzdem schätze ich die Geste, Randy~"

("Still, I appreciate the gesture, Randy~")

And so they continued eating breakfast, continuing their often innuendo laden small talk. "Alsoo~o, wirst du dich unseren Gästen und mir für das heutige Spiel anschließen?"

("Soo~o, are you gonna join our guests and I for _today's_ game?")

"Das könnte ich auch. Vorausgesetzt, du hast ein Ticket für mich."

("I might as well. Assuming you got a ticket for me.")

"Hätte dich sonst nicht gefragt, Randy."

("Wouldn't have asked you otherwise, Randy.") A small smirk.

"Du weißt, ich freue mich, dich begleiten zu dürfen."

("You know I'll be happy to join you.") His smile was a genuine one. "Mein Japanisch ist nicht mehr das, was es früher war, aber es hat mir sicherlich ... _geholfen_."

("My Japanese isn't what it used to be, but it certainly... _helped_ me.")

"Ja, da bin ich mir sicher."

("Yes I'm sure it _has_.") She deadpanned, stabbing her fork into _another_ wurst.

~

Soon enough, Asuka and Shinji joined the Nephilim on the couch.

"Did you two have _fun_?"

The both of them nodded.

"Are you ready to _ruin_ this fun?"

The both of them _shook_ their heads.

"Too bad."

Eliza as Rei got up to put the disc in the Playstation.  "While you two were _busy_ , _I_ was busy reading the back of the DVD box. _Apparently_ , there's not only four episodes in this disc, but there's also an _OVA_. Whatever that means."

Rei swapped back in. "An OVA is essentially a one-shot anime, often one or so episodes long."

"So pretty much a _special episode_?"

"I would assume."

" _Great_." Asuka muttered. "As if we didn't _already_ need all hands on deck to help us get through this shit."

"Look on the _bright side_ , Asuka." Pointed out Shinji. "After watching these, we _never_ have to watch it again."

"I got _that_ to look forward to, at least."

Their hopes so low they were in the mantle, the _final_ disc began.

* * *

## 2\. Elfen Lied

Character Key:

Shinji (S) Asuka (A)

Rei (R) Kaworu (K)

Eliza (E)

### 2.10: Infant ~ Säugling

_Oh? You're Approaching Me?_ (01:30)

A: "This will either be _incredibly_ one-sided, or incredibly _close_."

R: "It was one-sided _last_ time. So I am inclined to believe it will not be that case _now_."

Mayu was knocked to the floor.

E: "That wouldn't help her."

They _were_ about to begin fighting, but it cut to the preparation of dinner.

S: "Oh _surely_ he can cut a bit faster than _that_."

A: "Not _every_ man is a master chef like _you_ are, Shin-chan."

The show proved her point, as Kouta cut himself.

K: "Point proven?"

A: "Point proven."

E: "And all the while, there's a _war_ going on at their doorstep."

Speaking of, the battle continued, vectors free.

Whatever the results were, the group didn't know, because it cut to the title card.

Asuka grumbled.

_Medic_ (03:00)

S: "Nyu isn't in _her_ either."

K: "She hasn't been since a few episodes ago."

Mayu put herself between Lucy and Nana.

E: "It was nice knowing her."

A: "And she was _already_ attacked, as well. By _who_ , we don't know."

R: "She does not want _either_ of them to attack. As far as _she_ knows, Lucy is still Nyu."

Mayu's words triggered something within Lucy.

R: "...Well, she _was_ Lucy."

A: "Looks like they're _all_ living another day!"

S: "She _really_ likes to push Yuka's buttons, doesn't she."

K: "Unintentionally, of course."

A: " _That_ look is the look of silent jealousy right there."

E: "Even though she herself said she _shouldn't_ be jealous."

R: "Though much akin to Hiro and Zero Two, you can see _why_ Lucy and Nyu would feel _something_ for him."

K: "Rather a shame it affects _Yuka_ , as well."

A: "I wouldn't put it past ARMS to make them _share_ Kouta."

_Meal_ (04:35)

A: "I can see _why_ she's a bit mad."

K: "She was so _close_ to getting her target, and yet she _can't_."

R: " _Nyu_ is not her target. Lucy is."

E: "Though she _does_ have appropriate reasons to target _Lucy_."

S: "I imagine losing _all_ your limbs to someone _would_ make you dislike them."

Mayu explained her situation. "Oh and it looks like Kouta's little harem is _expanding_ some!"

R: "Much to Yuka's consternation, I imagine."

E: "Can hunger really _do_ that?"

Asuka shrugged. " _I_ used to be a bit like that."

S: "Until we _got to know_ one another."

She gave a sly smirk, as Nana scoffed bowl after bowl.

K: "I mean, it looks like she was _really_ hungry."

R: "I doubt she has eaten anything since before her _first_ deployment."

E: "Since the third episode."

A: "If I was _that_ hungry, I _would_ be somewhat irritable!"

S: "They're certainly _generous_ , you can't deny that."

An argument began.

A: "At least when they aren't arguing about _that_."

R: "The issue with that is you could say _both_ of them were in the right."

And it promptly stopped as Nyu offered her own meal.

K: " _She's_ willing to forgive her, at the very least."

It was _Nana_ who apologised first.

E: "After _that_ much generosity."

S: "Rather _understandable_ , then."

A: "And _I_ certainly wouldn't prod the people I'm staying with."

_Debt of Gratitude_ (07:20)

K: "Ah, _he's_ getting a flashback as well."

Kuruma talked with Kakuzawa.

R: "How he was talked into this business, I would think."

A: "Sure _looks_ like it. It's always _governments,_ isn't it?"

E: "Or entities _controlling_ the governments." She wryly mused.

S: "Which is probably the case _here_ as well. Unless the Director is just a one man Seele."

A: "It'd make _solving_ that problem easy enough if it was."

S: "So it won't be."

A: "Yeah, can't take the easy way out in _that_ world."

As his curiosity was getting the better of him, it cut to the police.

In the midst of finding a children's tricycle with an unusual piece of cargo. "Y'know, I don't exactly see children carrying _severed heads_!"

E: "Other than Lucy."

And in the midst of a lot more, as an operation was underway.

S: " _This_ is gonna be a bloodbath."

K: "Rather _obvious_ , isn't it."

R: "How _was_ Lucy captured initially, anyway?"

A: "Another Diclonius, probably."

Upon seeing an innocent looking child, the police decided to take her in.

E: "Initiating surprise in three... two... one..."

The policeman's head fell off.

A: "We can't even call it _surprising_ anymore, Eliza."

What _was_ surprising was that they ended up _shooting_ her.

A: "...Huh."

R: "She would not have the _experience_ to block such attacks."

K: "That _was_ her experience."

_Institute_ (10:00)

E: "So they _didn't_ need another Diclonius."

A: " _Noooo_ , she _was_ that Diclonius."

K: "Well, _this_ will anger some people."

A: "Seeing a literal _child_ tortured like that? How could _that_ ever be questionable and morally reprehensible?!"

R: "No wonder Lucy is as she was."

S: "It's almost like people _snap_."

R: "Lucy _already_ snapped, as well."

A: "If _this_ show is any example, it's there's _no_ limit to how destroyed someone can get."

S: " _Our_ show could be an example of that, as well."

E: "This was where the Diclonius Institute started, I would think. Meaning that _wasn't_ number 35 we saw in the preview."

K: "Doesn't make it any _better_. At least _Kuruma_ doesn't like it, as well."

A: "He actually _cares_ for the Diclonius in his care! He literally _strangled his child_ and he's _still_ one of the best examples of people in that damned Institute!"

R: " _Kisaragi_ might have been alright. Not that _we_ would know."

K: "It all comes down to how they _see_ them. They don't see them as _human_. Therefore, they can do _anything_ to them."

S: "Do they not even care for _animals_?"

A: "If they treat Diclonius like _that_ , obviously they _don't_. Shit, even _here,_ NERV was a _helluva_ lot more moral than _they_ were!"

R: "I was never tortured _physically_ , at the very least. _Mentally_ , you could posit a case for."

Kakuzawa revelled what he _thought_ was the truth about Diclonius.

E: "A part of me feels they do that because of a _failure_ in treating them right."

K: "Or teaching them to respond _productively_."

S: "They'd need to know about the _vectors_ , first of all."

A: "And I know _some_ people would have some qualms in wanting to deal with a child who could _kill_ you with a thought."

R: "Of course, _they_ will not think that. To them, they are a clear cut _enemy_. Akin to how the _Angels_ were seen."

K: "For my kin and I, it is understandable. There are fundamental differences between Adamite and Lilithian life. Diclonius, meanwhile, are _human_. A _mutative_ form of human, but still _human_."

A: "So akin to how _we_ evolved from _apes_ or something."

K: "Indeed. You could posit a case that Diclonius _are_ the next evolution of mankind. Akin to how the Homo sapiens were for Homo erectus."

R: "The issue with this in terms of _humanity_ , however, is we _fight_. We have the _will_ for it. Any other animal species, the new mutation would in time outlast the old, though natural selection."

E: "We aren't _like_ other animal species, though."

R: "Indeed."

_Next Evolution_ (12:20)

They would've continued this conversation, if not for _gunfire_.

And turning to the screen, they saw the soon to be _former_ President and Vice President of the _being alive_ club.

E: "This is _not_ helping her worldview."

A: "You don't say."

As was expected by _literally everyone,_ Lucy dealt with the two as she tended to do.

S: "So whatever happened in the first episode wasn't the _first_ time she did that?"

K: "Why would you think she was in such confines in the first place?"

R: "And they _still_ did not work."

In an egregious breach of security, the young Lucy _found_ the young Kuruma in his office, promptly running her phantom limbs through someone's _brain_. "I suppose _that_ was how he became a Diclonius."

A: "That's certainly _one_ way to cover them up." She dryly remarked.

S: "At least it's oriented _away_."

A: "Oh yeah, don't want the loose head of a man seeing your _snatch_ now, do ya?"

E: "Obviously they _both_ didn't die here."

K: "It explains why he didn't die at the _start_ of this show, as well."

As soon as she said her thanks, a bullet downed her.

A: "Jesus fucking _Christ_."

S: "Rather amazing she survived _that_."

R: "Not that this helps _Kuruma's_ worldview."

K: "This most likely _codified_ his worldview."

_Meeting_ (14:05)

It cut to the Director, still in the flashback.

A: "Oh _that's_ certainly not morally questionable at all!"

R: "...Perhaps _that_ was why Kuruma... _ended_ his child the way he did."

K: "He thought it was better than _them_ doing it?"

Rei felt pensive. "I can see him _thinking_ that."

It cut to Oomori, tearfully pleading despite the inevitability.

S: "How the hell can you just _forget_ about that?"

A: "If you're a psychopath, perhaps. _He_ certainly was."

R: "I am sure if _he_ had a child, he would know."

E: "He didn't even need to experience it through a _child_. _He_ became a Diclonius."

K: "...It was _never_ going to be an easy decision. It's indeed a moral dilemma, at least to _them_."

A: " _Most_ people would think that, I would think. Maybe if they were a bit _older_ than three when they got those powers."

R: "...That is the issue they have. Of course, if they actually _treated_ them like human instead of monsters, perhaps this would have been _mitigated_ some."

It didn't help Oomori.

Asuka sighed. "I... wonder if _that's_ the reason we didn't see him until now."

E: "It _would_ be confronting for some."

S: "...I suppose that's kinda _honourable_ of Kuruma. Not sullying any _other_ hands with that business."

A: "I mean, it's _still_ murdering children. But _someone_ had to do it, in that Institute."

K: "It all really comes down to the _Director_ , when you think about it."

R: "And... this was made all the more _personal_ to him."

Whatever pensiveness was felt was ruined by Kisaragi bumbling into the room.

E: "I can't even say that sort of haphazard behaviour would be the death of her."

A: "It _was_ the death of her!"

_Child_ (16:20)

The tumbleweed couldn't help but feel melancholic, at what was to come. "We... know how this ends."

A: "And _uterine cancer_ , as well. Like for fuck's sake, there's only so much someone can handle."

K: "...We know how _she_ handled it. She... _couldn't_."

Indeed, the child had clear _horns_.

E: "The fate of that child was sealed even _before_ they were born."

S: "...And _we're_ going to see it."

Some quiet, as they saw Kuruma's thought process.

R: "I doubt his wife even _knew_ the significance."

K: "If it was _that_ secret."

A: "To not only have to deal with _cancer_ , but her husband killing the only child she could _ever_ have? It's... no wonder she couldn't deal with it."

As they assumed, she refused.

R: "A mother would _never_ let her child die like that. Even if they _knew_ it would result in their death."

A: "As... I said."

The mother entered a critical condition.

A: "And... this would've been _when_ he did it."

K: "It was when he _understood_ why he had a Diclonius, as well. _Any_ contact with a Diclonius vector would result in that."

R: "Hence why they wanted to treat Bando the way they wanted to. It was the _only_ way to ensure he could not have a Diclonius child."

They could only watch, as he dealt with it.

...At least until a bleeding woman walked in, cold eyes shot open.

K: "...Will this be enough to save her, however?"

The mother collapsed.

A: "It... _wasn't_ suicide?"

Eliza seemed to realise.  "It was all a _cover story_ , wasn't it? What if _that's_ why he cares so much about Nana?"

The rest realised this as well. "It... goes a long way to explain _why_ he cares so much about Nana, at least."

S: "And he kept this _hidden_ from the Director?"

K: "That, or... _that_ was why he has a debt of gratitude to the Director."

A: "He has a point, _how_ did this start?"

R: "There is _always_ a patient zero, when it comes to infections. It would be similar for Diclonius as well."

S: "Of course, _where_ it came from is a good question in itself."

The flashback ended.

E: "...Seems you were right, Kaworu."

K: "Unfortunately..." A short sigh. "Nana is indeed his child. But... she is in safe hands, at the very least."

_Crucifix_ (20:35)

The scene cut to a mountain. "Okay, what the hell is _this_ related to?"

S: "It better not be a _cult_."

The rattling of rings didn't help their case.

Nana awoke to her _crucifixion_ , on the behest of... several sentient notes of Yen.

Despite the graphic nature, Asuka couldn't help but chuckle. "Fuck sake, what Mayu said must've _really_ rattled her if she's dreaming of _that_."

E: "I'm concerned she is even _dreaming_ of that."

S: "Yeah, I don't think it's normal to dream of being _crucified_."

K: "I'm wondering how she even _knows_ of the crucifix."

A: "Maybe ARMS wanted to stick _more_ Christian imagery in this. It's what _Anno_ did!"

R: "Neglecting the fact our _world_ had that in the first place."

K: "Of course, this is rather clearly _fetishising_ crucifixion." He muttered, the Abraham within him consternating.

Or perhaps it was _Mari_. _'I don't suppose_ you _appreciate this.'_

_'My mom would've t-thrown this in a toaster b-by now.'_

An amused huff. _'I suppose she_ was _Irish, if your father was the American. Were_ you _particularly religious, Mari?'_

_'It's what my m-mom wanted.'_ The thought of a shrug. _'Needless to say, God and I a-aren't exactly on..._ speaking _terms, nowadays.'_

_'Can't say_ most _of us are, myself.'_

The dream ended, thank God.

A: "It was a _literal_ fever dream!"

R: "We should know by now, ARMS are one for unnecessary fanservice."

S: "Can you even _call_ that fanservice? That's _disturbing_."

A: "Maybe to _their_ fucked up minds, it's fanservice."

K: "That's _another_ fetish you can add to your list, Asuka." _Still_ muttering.

A: "I might as well just write _'ALL'_ on my list, at this point."

_Breakfast_ (21:10)

A: " _I_ would probably blame Mayu for that as well!"

S: "A part of me is wondering how they _can_ accommodate that many people."

R: "Their household _was_ a restaurant. Though if your question was in terms of _money_..."

E: "Nana had a lot of Yen on her. I'm sure _that_ would help pay."

K: "If she allowed them to use it."

A: "Not like _she'd_ know how to use it. She'd probably just buy _crepes_ or something like that, not _proper_ food."

R: "It sounds like they are making the _most_ of this company, at the very least."

K: "Even _if_ Nana still feels like she _shouldn't_ collaborate with Lucy. Or someone who at least _looks_ like Lucy."

E: "She understands it's _not_ Lucy, at the very least."

S: "Thing is, she's talking about how _nice_ this is. Which means _something's_ gonna ruin it."

A: "Ah, you caught onto this work's formula. As soon as _something_ starts to go right, it gets _ruined_ completely."

E: "We are running short of episodes, as well. Even _with_ there being technically five episodes to go through."

R: "The OVA is most likely a side story or an omake of sorts. So only four _relevant_ episodes."

K: "Either way, _something_ has to ruin this."

_35_ (22:00)

It cut to the Institute.

A: "So what are the odds _35_ goes rogue, as well?"

K: "Depends how well _indoctrinated_ she is."

E: "If she _is_ indeed as vicious as she _sounds_ , then I would _think_ she was... _volatile_."

They listened on more to their convenient exposition. "Even _worse_ than Lucy?"

R: "Lucy can actually _not_ kill people she is close with. Or who treat her well, or who present no immediate threat."

A: "Either way, _my_ hopes for those two keeping their heads are low."

S: "A shame. _She_ was somewhat decent, as well."

K: "It would be wise for them to _run_ as soon as they release her."

The doors opened.

R: "They are not running."

And they _saw_ several floating hands.

E: "Actually being able to _see_ these hands is actually a _dis_ advantage for a Diclonius, I would think."

K: "She would not have the luxury of stealth, at the very least."

A: "The _numbers_ make up for it."

S: "And they're going to face her." He deadpanned.

R: "It will certainly be an _interesting_ finale."

If they were hoping to actually _see_ 35, they would've been disappointed, the episode ending right there and then.

"Well, we know a bit more about Lucy, I guess."

"And Kuruma, as well." Noted Rei. "He is actually _more_ sympathetic than I thought."

"It wouldn't help he said a much _worse_ story about himself."

"To protect _Nana_." Kaworu pointed out. "On the behest of his dying wife, he sought to _protect_ his daughter. _Despite_ her nature."

"Sounds like _he's_ one of the better characters in this."

"In _retrospect_ , yeah." Admitted Asuka. "Certainly wasn't a good _first_ impression, thought."

"This entire show had a terrible first impression." She muttered.

"Yeah, you're right Eliza."

The preview played out.

"You know when the episode is named _COMPLICATION_ that _something_ will go down." Exclaimed Asuka.

"As if this wasn't complicated _before_." Shinji added on.

Hopes so low they were now in the Pacific Ocean, the next episode began.

~~~

### 2.11: Complication ~ Vermischung

_Manifold_ (01:30)

A: "Oh yeah, I wonder _why_ she'd be in such a prison."

K: "I imagine after the... _incident_ with Lucy, they beefed up security measures."

E: "I would _hope_ so. Especially someone with a range of _11 metres_."

R: "Almost six times more than Lucy."

S: "And longer than even _Nana_."

A: "That's if she _wants_ to defeat Lucy and Nana."

R: "It would depend on the _incentive_ , I imagine."

K: "We know with _Nana_ , she was fine with a simple _headpat_."

E: "A part of me expects 35 would want _more_ than that."

A: "Maybe some fresh meat to feast on or something. And that's _another_ good question, how are they gonna get this genie back in the bottle?"

S: "Something stupid, maybe."

Asuka shrugged. "At _this_ point, I wouldn't put it past ARMS."

Saito made her presence known. " _She_ is new."

K: "She's her _caretaker_."

A: "Oh, so probably the one person she _wouldn't_ kill on sight."

After the title card, it depicted Saito with a clipboard.

R: "A part of me wonders how they expect her to function if her _legs_ are not functional."

S: "She has twenty-something arms, Rei." Flat. "I think she can go without legs."

A: "Lets hope this relationship she have with her is actually _worth_ something to 35."

E: "It would depend if she knows how she _looks_ like. Can't exactly _speak_ if you get your head ripped off."

K: " _She_ doesn't even know who 35 looks like."

S: "Why do I get the feeling this is gonna end _horribly_ for everyone involved?"

A: "Because it _is_?"

The secretary revealed the _one_ trump card they have over 35. "Oh for fucks sake, _she_ has a bomb in her as well?"

R: "It was a _collar_ , in Shinji's situation."

S: "Still a _bomb_."

E: "That was the Theatrical, right?"

K: "Indeed; rest assured Shinji did not have a bomb collared to him in _our_ world."

S: "Just _regular_ collars."

Audible silence.

E: "...Kinky."

_Bomb_ (03:50)

The echo indicated it was a _flashback_.

A: "I mean, from _their_ perspective, it's somewhat reasonable."

K: "It's the same thought _Wille_ had in the Theatrical. Better off killing _them_ instead of causing the end of the world."

S: " _Still_ rather morbid to think about."

E: "If they had done that with the _other_ Diclonius, that would've prevented _everything_. And in _that_ kind of world, I'm rather surprised they _haven't_ done that yet."

A: "I'm sure _that_ would've been a better show. Lucy gets blown up about 2 minutes in, and the rest of the episodes are dedicated to Yuka getting in Kouta's pants."

R: "I am sure we would have enjoyed it all the same. Of course, in _this_ case, _enjoyment_ is a rather _specific_ type."

A: "I enjoy tearing this show to shreds."

S: "Yeah, that and the fact it's _Rift Material_. Might not have watched past the first few episodes otherwise."

Either way, the partitions were released, alarms blaring and keys turning.

E: " _Statistically_ , this is going to end _horribly_ for the Institute."

A: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time."

Saito called for _Mariko._

The noticeably _anorexic_ Diclonius wheezed her way out.

A: "WHAT THE FUCK IS _THAT_ ATTACHED TO HER?!"

R: "The _plumbing_ , I would think."

K: "Not like they had _ever_ interacted with her _physically_."

S: "They've full on deprived her of her _senses_."

A: "I guess I should add _that_ to my list, as well!"

As was expected, the Diclonius collapsed.

E: "It's almost like depriving someone of... well _everything_ , would _cause_ an issue like that."

Saito removed the bandages, and allowed Mariko to see her mother's face.

R: "In any other scenario, I would think this rather _touching_."

_Janai_ (05:50)

Mariko said her reply.

There was but a second for Eliza to say  "Oh no." before Saito's torso _exploded._

Much to the deadpan looks of the tumbleweed, now _completely_ unfazed by the gore this show has to offer. "I don't know what I expected."

S: "Exactly _that_ , I imagine."

Her eyes went solid, as she gunned for the secretary.

K: "I hope it's quick."

Mariko's _arm_ blew off.

E: "And _there's_ the bomb."

A: "Man, _she_ was exactly like a deer in headlights, wasn't she?"

R: "One of the many danger responses. Where your mind _struggles_ to process what is happening."

It was _who_ blew her up that was a revelation to the group. "Jesus _Christ_ she's a trooper."

K: "Her lower half might've been blown off, but she would have _still_ had some sort of willpower left in her to do such thing."

E: " _Luck_ would've been a factor. For her to have been thrown _just close enough_ to the button for her to be able to _press_ it."

Either way, Mariko was _restrained_.

A: "I'm sure _that_ would be a good incentive. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to give _toddlers_ the means to _murder_ people?"

S: "ARMS."

_Ice Cream_ (07:05)

The metronome ticked back again. "All the while _she_ enjoys _ice cream_."

S: "Can't deny she's having a _better_ time."

All the while, Nyu was busy _tinkering_ with the grandfather clock.

E: "I wonder where she _found_ that screwdriver."

R: "Or who _gave_ it to her."

K: "It's a good excuse for Kouta to have a _talk_ with Nana, at the very least."

A: "I'm sure they have a _lot_ to talk about."

While Mayu was busy _attempting_ to reassemble the grandfather clock with Nyu, Kouta and Yuka had a little _conversation_ with Nana.

S: "It's more an _interrogation_ , isn't it?"

A: " _I'd_ have plenty of questions. Like, why is there _another_ horned girl looking to kill the horned girl they're looking after?"

Nana kept pleading the 5th, so Kouta threatened to kick her out.

R: "A rather _understandable_ response, I feel. If she is not willing to _cooperate_ with those giving her shelter."

K: "Even so, she is _not_ breaking that promise to her _papa_."

All the while, Mayu and Nyu _almost_ got the grandfather clock fixed.

...Key word _almost_.

The group couldn't help but chuckle as the guts of it fell out. "Well, _they_ tried."

Like the two in the show, the group were distracted by Nana's _crying_. "...Sounds like _they_ had some progress, at the very least."

E: "Whether it's the _right_ progress, however."

_Bathhouse_ (09:35)

A: "Aaaand we cut _right back_ to fanservice."

R: "She _likes_ it, at least." A small smile. "Plus, between the same sex, nudity is all well and good."

A: "I get _that_ much." Asuka then pointed to the two boys in the room.

S: "Oi, you said it was _fine_ for us!"

A: "I know, just giving an example."

K: "I doubt this exactly _appeals_ to a female demographic, either way."

E: "It's probably the egregious gore and the egregious showing of the female body, I would think."

K: "Then again, it seems like we _all_ appreciate the female body, at this point."

Snickering between the group. "But Nana has a point. _Eventually_ , Nyu will turn back to Lucy. One way or another."

A: "She might as well enjoy this time while she can, then."

It cut back to the crepes store. "Oh they didn't even spell _crepes_ right!"

S: "It's almost like we don't speak English here. Unless that's also the _German_ for crepe."

A: " _Krepp_ , with a hard K and P. Of course I know _some_ English as well, being the language of the _Anglosphere_."

Asuka would've _liked_ to have gone on more about English and _the_ English, but it showed _why_ they were at the crepe parlour. "Been a while since we've seen _those two_ , eh?"

E: "They're actually doing their jobs, for once."

_Institutionalise_ (10:35)

R: "At least the _bomb_ worked in its function."

S: "I was expecting it to have been a _fatal_ bomb, myself."

E: "There's always the chance there were _several_. In fact, it wouldn't _surprise_ me if they went to that extent."

K: "Enough to get her under control, but not to _kill_ her."

A: "It's almost like they're used as _tools_ or something."

Shirakawa reported too Kuruma. At least she would, if he was in his office. "... _Well_. That might be cause for concern."

R: "I doubt that photo of his wife would be _shattered_ if something _did not_ happen, Shinji."

Some exposition solved those concerns. "Why on Earth would _that_ job require off site conferences?"

K: "We know the Institute has entities _elsewhere_. Kakuzawa's lab was an example of this."

Cut to Arakawa, still diligently studying and complaining about her personal hygiene.

E: "I know such work is _important_ , but you could at least _shower_."

A: "You wouldn't catch _me_ skipping a good bath to _research_."

K: "Judging by that _phone call_ , she's going to be doing something _other_ than research."

S: "She's _still_ gonna complain about that, though."

A: "If I didn't have a bath or even a _shower_ in days, _I_ would too."

_Correspondence_ (12:30)

It finally cut to this _conference_ between Kuruma and another entity.

Who promptly pointed his gun at Kuruma yeah it was _Bando_. "At least he's doing something _good_ with his life for once!"

R: "It is about _all_ he is good for, trash collecting."

E: "And he wants to _help_ him. After he practically _betrayed_ the Institute."

S: "You could say _Kuruma_ was betraying the Institute, as well."

Kuruma soon revealed his own intentions.

K: "I doubt he is referring to either Lucy or Nana."

A: "Which leaves _Mariko_. But shit, if _anyone_ could _finally_ kill Bando, it'd be her."

R: "It would be a long time coming, at this point."

Back to the Kanae household.

R: "It seems they _have_ reached an accord."

K: "As long as Lucy doesn't come back into the fray, I'm sure."

A: "Making herself _useful_ , as well. I'm sure that looks good to _Kouta_."

Speaking of, Nana noticed a photograph.

E: "He's always been rather _upfront_ with the fact she died."

S: "...Though I wonder if this is getting through to _Lucy_ , one way or another."

K: "Nyu _did_ look rather pensive, during that."

Nyu said _more_ words.

R: "...I think you are right, Shinji. She is remembering what _Lucy_ is remembering."

_Scissors_ (14:30)

Nyu ran out with a pair of scissors.

What she was going to _do_ with these scissors was made all too clear a few seconds later.

A: "...And _that_ is her first response?"

E: "I doubt they're even _sharp_ enough, honestly."

K: "It's still a rather _significant_ gesture, either way."

Kouta found Nyu.

And _everyone_ immediately doubled back. "...Damn it, that _frightened_ me."

R: "Shows just what we _think_ of this show."

S: "...Or our _own_ mental states."

She said she was _Kanae_.

A: "Damn it that's the _third_ time my mood changed!"

E: "I can _see_ how significant this gesture can be. At least to someone like _her_."

K: "...I doubt _he_ sees it like that."

R: "This comes down to how Nyu _interprets_ her own memories of the event, I would think."

S: "Hopefully... he can just see it as her trying to cheer him up."

A: "He should be _used_ to Nyu having a... _unique_ way of showing gratitude."

R: "And she _has_ always been like that. Ever since they first met."

K: "He certainly sees it as _some_ sort of apology."

E: "Most likely not Nyu was _intending_ , but... still significant."

On the behest of another flashback, Kouta hugged Nyu.

A: "Yeah, _we_ know why he thinks he knows her."

S: "That _really_ wouldn't help Yuka, if she found out."

As if he were clairvoyant, it cut to Yuka running away, from the door to the garden she eavesdropped their conversation on.

Flat looks towards Shinji.

S: "How the hell do I keep doing that."

_Transport_ (16:20)

Shirakawa still sought the Chief.

A: "Knowing Bando, he's probably dead."

E: "It wouldn't surprise me if _everyone_ died by the end of this."

S: "I wouldn't expect anything different from this show." He muttered. "Especially if they get _her_ involved with it all."

Back to the Kanae Household. "That is quite a bit of food for a puppy."

K: "Mayu knows that."

A: "I'm sure _Wanta_ won't complain."

S: "Where _would_ Yuka be, though?"

R: "Somewhere isolated, I would think. If she was closing herself off."

Nana _felt_ someone.

K: "I'm sure _that_ will be horrifying for her."

A: "Someone a whole heap _more_ powerful than she is, looking to tear her head off? Yeah, I probably _would_ be scared shitless."

Snap back to the lab.  "Will she complain about her personal hygiene again?"

A: "She'd complain about all those _books_ , I imagine."

One of these books held an image of Kouta.

S: "I'm sure _he'll_ complain about that."

The metronome tocked to the clock.

R: "Will she _tell_ anyone about this other Diclonius?"

K: "I don't think she told anyone other than Mayu that she even _is_ a Diclonius."

A: "Good to hear they're all _dead_."

E: "It was only a matter of time, with this show."

Nana firmed.

S: "Well, I suppose it's _a_ motive."

R: "They _are_ rather nice, when done well."

K: "Even if it's a motive in vain. She's... doing this to _protect_ them."

_Enervated_ (19:00)

Yuka wandered listlessly.

E: "...She certainly has a lot to think about, doesn't she?"

A: "Most girls are like that, I'd think. If they felt their man was stolen."

R: "Even though _we_ know they have history."

S: "I'm _still_ not too sure if this is even _love_ for Nyu. Isn't he just taking care of her?"

K: "You can't deny he spends _time_ with her. Of course, it wouldn't help Yuka has caught them in _several_ questionable positions, all of which she has interpreted the wrong way."

R: "Without input from Kouta _or_ Nyu."

A: "She's good at that, isn't she."

She found a roadblock. "Oh look at that, the police are actually _doing_ something!"

E: "They probably want as few civilians as possible near there."

S: "I imagine it won't matter, once she's released."

The Chinook landed.

A: "They _really_ aren't taking any chances with her, are they?"

K: "It's the only way they can _control_ her. Even _if_ she kills everyone, she'll only be a problem for a maximum of 30 minutes."

R: "Almost like they actually _thought_ about controlling a Diclonius, for once."

E: "Why do I feel it won't even _matter_?"

S: "Because it probably won't." He deadpanned. "She'll probably figure out a way to disable them."

A: "I _want_ to hope Nana can do something against her."

E: "I would say having _any_ hope this show ends even _close_ to positively is an incorrect decision."

A: "Hence _want_."

_Questions_ (20:30)

K: "Perhaps they will _march_ to their deaths."

E: "At _this_ point, it's highly likely."

Kouta certainly decided that.

E: "Correction: all but certain."

A: "Eleven episodes is pretty good, considering we wrote him off by the _first_."

And Nyu followed.

S: "I mean, she _can_ protect him."

R: "She's one of Mariko's _targets_ , however."

Yuka returned.

K: "I'm sure _she_ wouldn't appreciate Kouta throwing himself into a meat grinder."

A: "She flips from not appreciating him to appreciating him."

R: "And not even to his face, more often than not."

Cut to _Bando_. "Oh right, _he_ exists." Muttered Asuka.

Cut to Mariko, with Nana hopefully more than 11 metres in front of them.

E: "At least we can say she faced her death head on."

K: "I don't think she _knows_ of her range."

A: "She's essentially _dead_ , then."

S: "That's what we've all thought, right?"

R: "Indeed, it would surprise me if she _did not_ die."

Mariko's vectors began their thing.

K: "She got too close."

A: "She could've _not_ ripped her clothes off, at least."

And the episode drew to an abrupt end.

"I mean, she's not dead _yet_."

"I wouldn't say she was in a _good_ position, however."

"Of _course_ she wouldn't die _now_. They gotta draw us in for the _next_ episode, don't they?!"

"You picked up on the pattern." Rei mused. "That is the point of a _cliffhanger_."

"I don't remember _our_ show having cliffhangers like that, at least _constantly_."

"They had a few." Remembered Rei. "Though there were not all too common."

"Some of them ended rather _quietly_ , didn't they? I know the _Sandalphon_ episode ended with all of you going to an _onsen_."

"I would've _hoped_ that all ended quietly enough, considering I almost _died_ during that."

"Shinji saved you, at the very least."

"Yeah." A small smile, and a look towards him. "He sure did."

The preview played out.

"What is a _quagmire_?"

"A swamp, literally." Kaworu defined. " _Metaphorically_ , however, it defines an awkward, hazardous, or an otherwise _complicated_ scenario."

"Hmm. Judging by the preview, that's an _apt_ title."

Their hopes having fallen so low they were now in geostationary orbit, the next episode began.

~~~

### 2.12: Quagmire ~ Taumeln

_Slow Down_ (01:30)

Mariko kept playing with her food.

E: "Is she not going to just _kill_ her?"

She explained her reasonings.

A: "You know, when people like her think stuff like _that_ , I can sorta understand _why_ they get locked away."

R: "Even compared to all the other Diclonius, Mariko's sheer _sadism_ is an outlier."

K: "One could say it was due to her isolation."

S: "It's kinda a catch-22, isn't it? Try raising her and take the _high_ risk of killing yourself and everyone, or lock her away and cause her to get worse."

E: "It's almost like Diclonius were meant to _replace_ humanity as it is."

A: "Like they were the next evolution." She echoed.

Nana was thrust to the floor.

R: "I _want_ to doubt she will die this easily."

A: "We wrote her off _last_ episode. This... is just us _showing_ us, isn't it."

S: "Showing us _way_ too much. But... that's just this show's thing, isn't it."

E: " _I'm_ certainly looking forward to finishing this off."

A: "Means we won't have to _watch_ it anymore."

K: "We have _something_ to look forward to, at least."

_Motorboat_ (03:05)

Kouta and Nyu passed the roadblock.

A: "Pfft, sleeping on the job. They really _are_ useless."

E: "They are most likely knocked out."

A: "Oh I know _that_. But it doesn't help the fact they're completely _useless_ in this show."

Nana was bleeding out.

S: "Misato called this _playing with your food_ , didn't she?"

R: " _Exactly_ what she was doing."

All of a sudden, _Kouta_ entered the fray.

K: "Dead."

R: "Mariko would not kill him, not while the _others_ are around."

A: "She could kill _everyone_ there instantly."

S: "Or she'll _take her time_ with it."

E: "She _is_ a sadist, as Rei defined."

K: "Which would include _him_ , if it hurt Nana more."

On the command of someone _other_ than Shirakawa, Mariko was on Nana.

R: "She is _too_ close to her."

A: "And we _know_ Nana can do that."

Nana made her play, _disabling_ Mariko, before falling off the bridge.

E: " _Exactly_ what she did with Lucy."

S: "And we know she could've _easily_ killed her with that."

_Run_ (06:10)

Speaking of _Lucy_ , however, _Nyu_ rocked up.

A: "Oh just fucking _everyone's_ coming to get ground up, aren't they?!"

R: "Mariko has been _disabled_."

K: "Not that it helps _Shirakawa_. For all _she_ knows, Nyu is still _Lucy_."

S: " _Kouta_ doesn't even know that."

E: "At least for the moment."

Mariko, upon realising she couldn't just _kill_ randomly anymore, broke down.

Kouta taking that opportunity to run away with Nyu.

A: "Oh yeah, run from the guys with guns."

K: "It _partially_ worked for him before."

E: "If _anything_ happens to Kouta, Lucy will go off the rails."

Either way, they decided to kill them both.

S: "Can't wait to see it." A flat remark.

_House_ (08:00)

They didn't get to see it, the show cutting away as soon as the shots were fired.

R: "A part of me _doubts_ they were killed in that moment."

A: "You _bet_ Lucy dug herself out of Nyu to _protect_ Kouta."

K: "All the while, _those two_ try to figure out just _what_ is going on."

E: "We've been trying to do that for a while, as well."

S: "They think it's related to Kouta's _generosity_ , at least."

A: "You _could_ say that. He was certainly kind to _Lucy_ when they first met."

R: "Almost like he is one of the _only_ decent men in that world."

K: "Kuruma has proven himself at least _somewhat_ decent, I feel."

E: "But as they say, he has a _reason_ for this."

A: "...Related to what _happened_ , I imagine."

S: "That _neither_ of them know about, at least _truly_."

K: "Not even _Kouta_ truly knows. He has it _buried_ deep within him, that even if he _tries_ to dig it up, his mind automatically _stops it_."

R: "If _anything_ was to force these feelings to surface, it would be what is happening _now_."

E: "At least _they're_ having a _somewhat_ good time."

S: "Calling her and Kouta like _that_ would, I imagine."

A: "It's probably what she _wants_ , eh?"

K: "She made that rather _clear_ to him, I feel."

R: "And _he_ does feel the same. She has simply caught him in situations that could be interpreted as being... _questionable_."

S: "It's practically a _habit_ , at this point."

_Bullet Time_ (09:20)

The bullets dropped in front of him.

And Asuka _grinned_. " _Hello_ , Lucy."

E: "I knew it."

K: "It seems _someone_ finally gets the dichotomy with Lucy and Nyu."

S: "And it took her _dying_ too realise."

R: "She is not dead _yet_ , however with how they responded to _Kouta_."

E: "My estimates are at less than a minute."

Shirakawa was _bisected_ , upon trying to tell Kouta about Lucy.

E: "My estimates were incorrect."

K: " _Technically_ it was less than a minute."

A: "A _lot_ less than a minute."

And it all came rushing back for Kouta. "...As I said. If _anything_ was to force these feelings to surface."

Lucy began her fight and flight, and one by one the armed officers fell.

In the blood and gore and loose body parts that was to be expected of Elfen Lied.

E: "And all the while, Kouta gets to _witness_ this."

S: " _He's_ not gonna appreciate all those horrible memories coming back."

K: "He _remembers_ Lucy now, at the very least."

_Flashback_ (11:00)

The show took them back to the past.

R: "I am all but certain, this will be the _full_ story."

S: "Sure _took_ them long enough to tell us."

K: "He didn't _want_ Lucy to see that. But... it seems fate had _other_ plans for them."

A: "God's a cruel mistress to them, in other news the _sun_ rose today."

The crowd started running.

E: " _He_ certainly died."

R: "At _this_ point, they still believe it was a _bomb_."

A: "I _would_ question why someone would attack a _village festival_ , but cultists do just about _anything_ , don't they?"

S: "It's not _sarin_ , at least."

They found Kanae.

K: "... _She_ saw what happened. Poor kid."

R: "I wonder if _Yuka_ suppressed most of this, as well."

They found the train station.

A: "And this was the _last_ time she saw him for _eight years_."

E: "He's taking this well, at least. Their festival got _bombed_ and Kanae saw it, and he's all well and good."

S: "Can't deny he's _optimistic_."

Kanae kicked Yuka.

R: " _She_ certainly knew Yuka felt _something_ for her brother."

_Train_ (13:20)

A: "I _hate_ this suspense." She muttered.

R: "I believe we have _already_ discussed the sheer _pit_ that develops within you when you see something that is _inevitable_."

K: "Well... we won't have to wait much longer."

S: "I think it's more the fact we _have_ to wait at all."

Kanae revealed something.

E: "She _did_ see her."

K: "But she seems to _understand_ what she did, as well."

A: "Which Kouta _obviously_ denies. A horned girl killing everyone? That _can't_ be Lucy, surely!"

R: "I am sure _Lucy_ will... prove her right. One way or another."

E: "It doesn't help Lucy is _on_ this train."

The other three craned their heads.

Eliza pointed to the _smallest_ slivers of pink hair, just through the window into the other carriage.

S: "...Oh."

They saw _more_ of this, as Kanae ran towards that exact end of the carriage.

And as the camera panned to Lucy.

A: "Yes, I'd say that was a pretty big _oh_ , Shinji."

Lucy met with Kouta.

E: "...Now I'm assuming _she_ dies that way, as well. And Kouta simply suppressed it with a more... _acceptable_ story."

K: "Unfortunately... the only way we can know is if we continue _watching_ this."

So they did.

R: "I would say _lying_ did not help."

S: "In his defence, not like _he_ knew she was gonna be there. He was just trying to let her down easy, right?"

A: "And maybe if she knew what a _cousin_ was, she wouldn't have been so... _murderous_."

_Flashback Flashback_ (14:35)

The flashback flashed back some more.

A: "Just get the bloodshed over with already!"

E: "I think this is also intended to pain _us_." Eliza was able to handle the exotic animals this time around, at least.

A: "Well it's fucking _working_. I swear that penguin is gonna have to _seriously_ make up for showing us this!"

S: "I like how we're just blaming _that_ Pen-Pen for everything, now."

K: "It's either them or _God_ , I suppose."

R: "We do not have any _other_ explanation as to why these materials appear."

A: "It's probably a _sport_ for him." She muttered. "Throw these sorts of materials in our laps and see how we respond."

K: "I wonder if he expected us to react like _this_ to this show."

A: "What, wanting to rip that God penguin's head off for sending us this?"

E: "An appropriate response."  A flat remark.  "At the very least, it does not involve _us_."

R: " _Approximations_ of us, perhaps."

S: "Kouta practically _looks_ like me, anyway."

E: "So why are they showing us _this_ much in the flashback anyway?"

A: "Budget issues, probably." A scoff. " _Our_ show looked like it was made on a _shoestring_ budget; maybe ARMS is starting to run out of money from animating all that gore and nudity."

R: "I would not _think_ nudity would require much funding."

E: "Logically, it would require _less_. Not having to bother drawing _clothing_ , and that."

A: "Oh, maybe _that's_ why we were naked all the time in our show!"

_Promise_ (16:55)

It cut back to the present.

R: "He remembered that promise."

A: "...Now it's whether he can make _good_ on that."

Lucy got done with her prey. Just as Kouta was coming out of his _episode_.

E: "...What is she humming?"

Kaworu listened in. "...Lilium." He quietly remarked. "If _that_ doesn't drive him."

Yet another flashback, to the music box.

S: "Does she... _associate_ that song with Kouta, perhaps?"

R: "Rather fitting such song is used in the _opening,_ then."

K: "It ties the two together. This has _always_ been about the two of them."

E: "So... if she is humming this... does she _want_ him to make good on his promise to her?"

A: " _How_ would she?"

K: "She could simply... _stop_."

Yet more previously used footage, interspersed with the prerequisite amounts of gore.

R: "She understands the amount of _pain_ she caused Kouta. Even though he _liked_ her."

E: "And _she_ liked him."

K: "Still does, in fact."

And then it was back to the train.

A: "...Can't deny _she_ wants to protect him."

E: "It will end up _killing_ her."

Kouta _slapped_ her.

E: "...Or he could do _that_."

K: "Not like _he_ knows."

She was _split in half_.

Kaworu winced. "... _Now_ he knows."

They could only watch on, as what they _knew_ was going to happen... well, _happened_.

E: "She was going for _Yuka_ , as well?"

Kouta did not allow it.

R: "...And this was when she realised."

_Reunion_ (21:15)

Back to now.

Lucy as Lucy facing Kouta, as the last remaining scientist made his escape.

K: "Now there is one question. What _now_?"

A: "We... kinda _suspect_ Lucy might want him to... _end_ her."

E: "At _this_ rate... one or both of them will be dead by the end of this series."

R: "There _is_ one more episode remaining. I... _doubt_ they will end up dying before then."

They were now face to face, Kouta questioning her.

S: "He is _remarkably_ calm, in this situation."

A: "There comes a point where so much happens, that you can't respond with anything _but_ calmness."

R: "You know someone is _truly_ angered if they are not even _showing_ it."

E: "Emotions can _overflow_?"

A: " _That's_ certainly a way of putting it."

A gun fired.

A: "Oh and look who it is, coming to ruin shit again!"

R: "That might as well be his special talent."

With a promise to reunite, Lucy drew Bando away.

And the episode ended.

"Y'know, after all _that_ , that was kinda a _disappointing_ end."

"Wouldn't be the _first_ time this show did that." Shinji muttered. "At least we have _one more_ to get through."

"Which hopefully does not _also_ end in a disappointing manner."

"It will." Kaworu thought. "There is not really much else this show _will_ do, I would think."

"Well it _already_ pulverised our hopes for this. Might as well _confirm_ the fact everyone's gonna die!"

"Maybe they _won't_. Maybe, just _maybe_ , they did all this just to get that thought in our heads, so that we don't think a good ending is _possible_."

A beat.

"Yeah, I don't see them doing that."

The preview started.

"Especially with a title like _that_!"

"It's _accurate_ , at the very least." Mused Kaworu.

Their hopes now intermingling with the rings of Mars, the final episode of Elfen Lied began.

...At least not counting the OVA.

~~~

### 2.13 FINALE: No Return ~ Erleuchtung

_Bridge_ (01:30)

Kuruma cradled Nana.

A: "Well, at least _she_ was saved."

E: "With her life intact, preferably."

She awoke in his arms.

Eliza had a small smile.  "Good."

K: " _Someone_ would've had to transport Bando to there."

R: "And to think, if he arrived a bit later."

S: "Seems she's finally getting _some_ sort of luck in her life."

A: "Ain't _that_ a rarity."

It cut to Lucy and Bando, in a very similar position to how they _first_ met.

A: "Now, is he _actually_ going to die?"

E: "Either he dies _now_ , or he doesn't die. This is the last _significant_ episode, as we know."

R: "The OVA may hold some significance as well."

She walked away.

S: "...What did she mean by _that_? If she's not gonna _kill_ him?"

A grim thought crossed Kaworu's mind. "Perhaps... she intends to make good on that promise she made to Kouta."

Some silence.

A: "You know. I can see this show going that way. It's nowhere near a _good_ ending but it's probably one of the few _possible_ endings."

E: "Like how _your_ show didn't have the best of endings."

S: "Maybe Anno worked at ARMS for a while."

Grim snickering, as the title card displayed.

_No Return_ (02:55)

R: "At least _they_ should live through this."

K: "They _have_ been spared the horrors of what happened. Mostly."

A: "I wouldn't _call_ it being spared, myself."

Yuka told Mayu the truth.

E: "...Seems she _does_ understand how such horror can alter someone."

S: "It's _exactly_ what happened with Kouta."

A: "I mean, it's a pretty good _excuse_ to not get her cues. God knows _we_ were like that."

S: "We just had to _drill it in_ a bit more."

K: "For _Kouta_ , however, his response was to become more _kind_. Treat everyone like they were Kanae."

R: "...Considering how they were interacting _before_ she was killed."

A: " _That_ would've been burned into his mind, like how my attitude was burned into _my_ mind when that sort of shit happened to me."

E: "He has an excuse for his _harem_ , at least."

K: "You could reasonably excuse _us_ for the same reasons." Musing. "And yet, she _still_ gets jealous."

A: "It's kinda _natural_ , I'd think. She loves him, he loves her. He's constantly interacting with other women and not returning or _rarely_ returning her affection." A huff. "It's kinda amazing _I'm_ not like that, honestly. Not that I'm _complaining_."

_Ward_ (04:30)

R: "Maybe they should have _expected_ a rogue Diclonius could appear at the drop of a hat."

S: "He's lucky he even _survived_ to make that phone call."

E: "Either way, Mariko is _disabled_ , at the moment. She poses no risk."

K: "At the moment."

E: "At the moment, yes. An _important_ clarification."

To the Director.

A: "And then there's _this_ asshole!"

R: "Maybe he gets some _comeuppance_ this episode."

A: "I'd _hope_. If not _Bando_ , I can at least settle for _him_!"

S: "It's not even really _settling_. He's the one _behind_ all this, isn't he?"

After a bit, the scientist left Mariko.

Unattended.

E: "Why do I get the feeling that's a _mistake_?"

A: "Wouldn't be the _first_ time, Eliza."

_Real_ (05:45)

S: "Wait, _Mariko_ is her daughter?"

A: "Nice _curveball_ , ARMS." She muttered. "We sure got _plenty_ of foreshadowing about that."

Just then, practically _every_ Diclonius sensed one another.

R: "This will end well."

E: "No it won't."

To the absolute surprise of _no one_ , Mariko went rogue.

K: "You're getting the hang of this, Eliza."

E: "How the hell do they keep making these _egregious_ errors of judgement?"

A: "People are stupid."

S: "And I doubt he was able to _reset_ that bomb, as well. So now she's not only _rogue_ , they can't _deactivate_ her."

R: "It would not surprise me if _everyone_ ended up dead, in the end."

A: " _Our_ show sure as hell ended like that."

_Cower_ (07:00)

K: "Well, he's not _dead_."

A: "Letting them fight amongst themselves, they should've just done that to _begin_ with."

S: "They _tried_ doing that to begin with."

And so, Lucy and Mariko met.

E: "I doubt Lucy will die _here_."

R: "Perhaps a mere fatal injury."

The prerequisite pleasantries out of the way, the fighting began. " _They_ didn't wait long, did they?"

A: "That means we _finally_ get a half decent fight sequence!"

Mariko was pushed out of her wheelchair.

E: "It's not much of a _sequence_ so far."

K: "Not a _fight_ sequence, at least."

R: "As has been said, strength is one thing. _Experience_ is another."

Dozens of hands were suddenly on Lucy.

A: "I dunno, _strength_ looks like it's winning out so far."

S: "It _was_ kinda stupid to get _that_ close to her anyway, wasn't it."

K: "In her defence, anywhere close is _eleven metres_."

And like that Lucy _appeared_ dead.

E: "...Well _that_ was depressingly quick."

R: "As I said, I would not _think_ she died here. But perhaps ARMS wishes to subvert my expectations and give me a disappointing end to her."

A: "I mean, she _looks_ pretty fucking dead, Rei."

S: "And I doubt that chipped horn would help matters, if they were somehow _necessary_."

K: "I know _someone_ who is about to die, at least."

The scientist observed the apparent corpse of Lucy with _glee_.

A: "I fucking _hope_ he dies, reacting like _that_."

_Confront_ (09:30)

K: "Speaking of pre-deceased."

A: "Mariko wouldn't even _know_ of him, surely. He's just another dude to kill."

She did, even calling him _father_.

A: "...Well I be damned."

E: "We know how she reacted to _Saito_."

R: "And we know of a Diclonius'... _unfortunate tendency_ to murder their parents."

Nana looked away, as Kuruma aimed his gun at her. And as Lilium began.

S: "...And the other way around, it seems."

K: "He _knows_. This... was what he was _meant_ to do."

R: "...Will she _allow_ this, however? She could kill him with a thought."

A: "Or... maybe she just feels _betrayed_ enough that she can't muster the will for it."

E: "Diclonius cannot use the vectors while in pain. Maybe that counts for _emotional_ pain, as well."

K: "...Though I think we _all_ know, Mariko in all likelihood would have just... _killed_ them."

A: "We've _seen_ it. I _want_ to say she could be normal, but in all likelihood she'll just _kill_ the people trying to help her. What the fuck do you do _then_?!"

Some silence, as Mariko's cry filled the room.

R: "...You do what the Institute does. Lock them away or... put them down."

Mariko was on Nana, just as she called him _papa_.

E: "...If he _has_ to, I suggest he hurries up."

Fortunately or not, he dropped his gun. And Mariko dropped her vectors.

And he walked up to her.

S: "Does he... have _another_ gun? I know _Bando_ had one."

Kuruma embraced her.

A: "Can't use a gun like _that_."

R: "That... would have been the _first_ time anyone held her like that."

E: "Mostly because she would've killed anyone who got anywhere _near_ her."

K: "He most likely knows it will result in his death, and yet he still _does_ it. Because he still _loves_ her. Even... _if_ he sees death as mercy for her."

As he held her, he made his decision.

S: "...Oh Gods, he's gonna do _that_?"

K: "It appears that way." Bowing his head. "If... it ends _her_."

And so he walked away, Mariko in his arms.

A: "Oh yeah, she just has to get _one more_ security guard, doesn't she?"

R: "...In a way, it is a rather _fitting_ end for Kuruma. You can say they can join his _wife_ and her mother, at least."

And with his last moments, he confessed to his daughter.

E: "...Indeed she would've. Were it not for _her_ , she wouldn't be here today."

S: "...They got _one_ moment of happiness with one another."

A: "It's the _maximum_ that world's allotted for people, Shinji."

They could only watch, as everything went white.

R: "...Damn it." Rei muttered. "It... would have been quick, at least."

Kaworu wrapped an arm around her.

R: "...Thank you."

_One Left_ (15:35)

This heartfelt moment of melancholy was immediately _ruined_ when the scientist pointed his gun towards Nana. "DU _HURRENSOHN_!"

E: " _Something_ had to ruin it."

His head was promptly removed.

And there was much rejoicing, especially at the revelation on _who_ removed his head. " _HAH_!"

K: "A good thing _Lucy_ was there."

S: "Amazing she even _survived_ that."

R: "Maybe it was a mere _knockout._ Either way, it was _wise_ to pretend to be dead."

Lucy expressed her wishes, as Nana was on the verge of a breakdown.

A: "Of course... it's increasingly sounding like Lucy _will_ meet her end _somehow_."

R: "That, or she feels she does not _deserve_ Kouta."

K: "It'd be a mixture."

Once more, to the Director.

E: "At least _she_ wants to protect Kouta."

A: "And _still_ needs that bath. Jesus Christ how long can she _go_ for?"

The Director removed his wig.

K: "It appears she is to die a virgin." He deadpanned.

E: "Yeah, my hopes for her surviving are at _zero_."

A: "Why did I _expect_ that?"

R: "Why _else_ would he be so eager to ensure Diclonius become the _next_ evolution of humankind if he were not already one himself?"

S: "At least she _might_ be able to bathe herself _before_ the world ends." He muttered.

A: "I wouldn't even hold out hope for _that_ , Shinji."

_Stairs_ (16:50)

Lucy and Kouta finally met, at the stairs.

A: "Of _course_ he's concerned about her injuries."

S: "That's just Kouta. Even _with_ their history."

So they talked.

R: "...I do not believe she _wants_ that."

K: "It would mean the death of every other human."

E: "And she _knows_ this. Perhaps she knows though _that_ , she can't _be_ with him."

K: "Indeed... she does."

S: "And yet, it's clear they _love_ one another."

As if to drive that point home, Kouta _embraced_ her when she wanted to leave.

A: "...He _does_ have a point, I suppose."

K: "Even _with_ what happened... he can't find it in himself to _hate_ her."

Shinji thought about that. "That's pretty much what my mum felt like. When... we talked. She couldn't _stop_ loving him, even _with_ what he did."

R: "...That is _exactly_ what they feel."

Their lips met, the music welling, another flashback flashing by.

E: "Hopefully Yuka isn't seeing this."

They couldn't help but chuckle, despite the emotion bearing down on them.

A: "He _really_ doesn't let anything faze him, does he? I _know_ you killed my sister and father but I still love you anyway."

S: "Doesn't sound _healthy_ , does it."

A: "Oh and I suppose _we_ are the paragon of a healthy relationship, eh Shin-chan?"

S: "I know you _wanted_ to kill my father, but you never _actually_ did."

R: "A part of me doubts we would have _complained_ , if that was the case."

A: "We _didn't_ complain!"

The flashback ended, along with the current batch of small talk.  "...They _are_ rather alike, in a few ways."

K: "Both of their lives were riddled with sadness after sadness. Much akin to _our_ own lives."

A: "Sadness attracts, it seems."

R: "That is _accurate_. We sought _anyone_ that could comfort us. And... well, we certainly have _that_ , do we not?"

E: " _Plenty_ of people, in fact."

_Home_ (21:30)

The music drew to a close.

A: "Now. Let's see how ARMS _ruins_ this for everyone."

E: "The military vehicles don't bode well."

Lucy faced her firing squad.

And with but an implication, she fell.

R: "...A shame they could not be together."

K: "It was what she _wanted_ , wasn't it." A small sigh. "Not... a _good_ ending for her."

S: "Perhaps a _fitting_ one."

One more time, we cut to the Kanae household, as the credits rolled.

They couldn't help but smile at Yuka's berating. "Maybe... they can have a normal life, now."

A: "Yeah, a normal life of banging you're cousin."

R: "I could think of _worse_ outcomes."

K: "And yet, he _still_ has feelings for Lucy."

E: "As he would. She was one of the most _significant_ figures in his life, wasn't she?"

S: "...Looks like _those two_ are leading good lives, as well."

A: "From where they were, just about _anything_ is good."

Yuka left one bowl out.

Melancholy. "It seems _they_ had feelings for Lucy, as well."

R: "She was significant in not only _Kouta's_ life."

A: "And hey, she _finally_ got some soumen noodles!"

This sort of melancholy became replicated within the show.

K: "...As Rei said."

S: "That's... what happens, though. When someone as significant as that goes."

A: "Leaves a hole, doesn't it." Pensive, was she. "It's... it's a good thing _they_ got one another to help with that, eh?"

E: "As _you_ do."

A: "...Yeah."

Kouta went to check the door, a familiar silhouette filling the frame.

"They better not pull the rug out from us _now_." Muttered Asuka.

"They got the _grandfather_ clock working, at least."

And that, as they say, was that.

"...Oh _FUCK YOU_ , ARMS! YOU LEAVE US WITH _THAT_?! _"_

"It's a good thing we are watching the OVA."  Flatly remarked Eliza. "It may tell us _more_."

"I doubt it." Rei interjected.

Asuka sighed, sitting back down in her chair. " _Fine_. Let's see if the OVA is anything _but_ a load of fanservice."

"At least we _know_ everyone ended up in a better place."

"Other than Lucy." Kaworu thought. "And Mariko, and Kuruma."

"And God knows what _the Director_ is doing."

"Okay, _relative_ to the start of this show."

"Even then. If that person at the door was _Lucy_. Perhaps it ended well for _her_ , as well."

The disc ticked through the copyright notices.

"...How do we get to the OVA?"

"There _is_ a menu on these discs, you realise."

Asuka craned her head.

"Maybe if you read the _manual_." She rolled her eyes, as she navigated.

"I didn't even know _you_ read the manual, Eliza."

"Let's just say, you gave us _plenty_ of time while you were with Shinji this morning."

"Oh." A small blushed creeped up on her. "Well, when you put it _that_ way."

"It shows their love still burns bright, at the very least." Mediated Rei, as Eliza got the OVA started up.

Their hopes and even their expectations literally _nonexistent_ , as the show had already technically _ended_ , the OVA started.

~~~

### 2.OVA: Rainstorm ~ Regenschauer

#### (a.k.a: Regenschauer ~ In the falling rain, or how can a girl arrive at such feelings?)

_Cooking by the Book_ (01:30)

The episode started off well enough, causing _everyone_ to burst out laughing at how Nana _failed_ at cooking. "I take it this happens _before_ the finale, then?"

E: "It makes Mayu's comment make a bit more _sense_ , doesn't it?"

S: "What _was_ she trying to cook, anyway?"

A: "Impossible to tell, maybe _mushroom_?"

R: "Perhaps she will do well with the _lettuce_ , then."

K: "She can't lose her hand _twice_." He shrugged.

A: " _You're_ certainly optimistic."

The lettuce was chopped.

S: "That's... certainly an _enthusiastic_ way of cutting that."

Asuka giggled at how Shinji looked _exactly_ like how Mayu was reacted to this. "I'm sure the chef within you is _screaming_ right now."

S: "Yep."

Her arm fell off, with a comical noise.

Once more there was rapture, at how _close_ the cleaver came to cleaving off Mayu's... _you know._ "Well _this_ is a good start. I can't believe I'm saying it, but why couldn't the _rest_ of the fucking show be like this?!"

E: "Maybe ARMS thought to let us down easy." Musing.  "After literally _everything_ that happened."

K: "It's _working_ , from what it sounds."

S: "Aww she even cut into the _board_."

R: "Maybe you can use it as a _washboard_ , now."

A: "Mayu has a point, though. _No one_ does it right the first time. Hell, _I_ still screw that up from time to time. A good thing you're _persistent_ with me, Shin-chan!"

Her phantom hands took down a bowl.

A: "...Oh yeah, why can't she use _those_ things in cooking?"

K: "It _is_ meant to be a secret, as she said."

E: "Didn't she tell them?"

R: "She did, but I think we have established this is set an unknown time _previous_ to the finale."

S: "I wonder why they _did_ that. Instead of, oh I don't know, focusing on what happened at the _end_ of the finale?"

K: "We have no indication this OVA was released _after_ the finale. Maybe it was a special one off, as you would expect of an OVA."

" _That_ title's a bit more of a word salad than usual."

" _Regenschauer..._ rain shower?"

Asuka patted Shinji's shoulder. "Good job!"

"It's a _strange_ title for this series. It's much more _verbose_ , isn't it."

"Perhaps telling us to not _expect_ much of what we _would_ have expected from Elfen Lied."

"I think it told us that already, Rei." Thought Kaworu. "The bopping music certainly helps that thought."

_Dinner_ (03:10)

Nyu nyued a nyu. "Well if _that_ isn't evidence enough this is set in the past, I don't know _what_ is."

S: "Maybe Lucy came back and she hit her head on something again."

A: "What, and they didn't bother to hit her back?"

S: "That's be a bit mean, wouldn't it?"

R: "They are being mean to _Nana_ , that is certain."

K: "Not like _they_ know she was cooking."

E: "They were the only people in the house."

And so they ate.

A: "Nah, she still has her horns there. This _is_ set in the past!"

R: "So they had one _more_ good moment together, before it all went down."

S: "She... eats rather fast, doesn't she?"

E: "She _is_ a Diclonius, after all. I imagine they burn a lot of energy."

K: "The fact she rarely _ate_ before she started living with them would certainly help."

A: "That _embarrassment_ probably wouldn't help, as well."

S: " _Cleaning_ should be a simple enough job, at the very least."

R: " _Nyu_ is certainly excited about this." A small smile. "Her concerns about how Nana and Nyu could work together would have been _justified_."

K: "Considering how they _first_ met."

Yuka's 'Kouta is getting with another woman' alarm went off.

A: " _That's_ certainly still the same, eh?"

R: "She got better."

_Plane_ (05:05)

E: "She's going to _compete_ with Nyu?"

K: "I doubt _Kouta_ will complain about those three doing his job."

S: "Not like one man can clean that whole house anyway."

A: " _Especially_ if it gets dirty enough to warrant _daily_ cleaning."

First, to the hardwood floors.

R: "She can be rather _adorable_ at times."

A: "She's pretty much a _child_ in that mindset, so yeah you'd _get_ that." Shrugging. "I _still_ find it kinda stupid you guys don't use _mops_."

S: "You don't exactly _need_ one, do you?"

A: "I know _that_ , but it means you don't have to bend over to scrub the floors. Not that _you'd_ complain. Hell, I doubt _those two_ would complain."

R: "You are right about _that_." A small smirk.

Nana did as Nyu did.

And predictably hydroplaned and crashed down the stairs, limbs flying.  "Yeah that was to be expected."

A: "She could at least _not_ be creepy when reattaching her limbs."

S: "A part of me feels that's kinda _unavoidable_ when dealing with _limbs_."

E: "The blood nose wouldn't help, admittedly."

R: "I probably _would_ be a bit peeved if two of my limbs suddenly fell off."

K: "Sounds like a rather _universal_ feeling."

E: "Why do we always get back to the subject of missing limbs?"

_Polish_ (06:40)

To the window.

S: "Is she cleaning the dirty side of the window?"

That window and all the other windows in the door _shattered_ , when her hand broke through it and sent her and the door tumbling.

Much to everyone's amusement. "Well it doesn't matter _now_ , eh Shinji?"

E: "The _shards_ are still dirty."

K: "Looks like a pretty _serious_ injury, however."

R: "All because she is trying to _compete_ with Nyu."

S: "Nyu doesn't even know she _is_ competing with Nana."

A: "And yet Nyu's still _winning_."

To the... snack. "At least she gets _something_ out of that."

E: "What even _are_ they?"

S: "Biscuits of some sort, I imagine."

K: "It'd be the first time they've even _seen_ something like that."

R: "It would explain their _reaction_."

A: "He can bet his ass other horned girls are _not_ like that."

E: "To be fair on him, Mariko is the _exception_ thus far. Though I suppose you can count Lucy and Nyu as _half_ an exception."

The Diclonius nibbled.

R: "If she is like _that_ with cleaning, I can understand if she has _reservations_ about it."

A: "Not like it's even that _hard_. _I_ don't like cleaning the house up but I still _do_ it."

S: "It's a bit of work, but you get a clean house at the end of it. So it's worth the effort."

A: "And yeah, the _end result_ is pretty good."

_Beachfront_ (08:55)

E: "I take it she's _overreacting_ a bit, then."

S: "Yeah, _I'd_ say so."

Trashman Bando berated a couple for littering.

A: "Bando has _some_ standards, at least."

R: "He may be abusive towards women and be an all around _terrible_ person, but at least he does not _litter_."

K: "Ever the environmentalist." In deadpan. "I'm surprised he's _that_ willing to talk to her."

A: "I'm surprised he's eating a _melonpan_. Big bad Bando eating a Goddamn _melonpan_!"

E: "A part of me wonders _why_ she even went back to him."

R: "This _was_ in the past. Evidently _before_ she learned to appreciate her friends."

A: "Out of _all_ the things ARMS could've covered in an OVA, why _that_?"

S: "Maybe they were filling in a few holes in the narrative, or something."

K: "Before _now_ , it did not cover _this_ aspect of Nana."

A: "I assumed it was because she learned to _accept_ Nyu and to live with her."

E: "Well, I suppose we get to _see_ that, then."

She began walking back.

K: "To be fair on her, a gun to the face is _often_ a good enough incentive."

A: "Especially when it actually _works_."

R: "Of course, we know it did not end up like _that_."

Bando revealed his _true_ reasonings for his cleanup duty.

A: "Oh Goddamnit you even turned _that_ into an operation of selfishness!"

_Walk_ (11:20)

E: "Even if _Nana_ doesn't care for Nyu, _Nyu_ certainly cares for her."

K: "She's a bit like that, isn't she."

A: "At least they were able to patch a few things up with _Kouta_."

S: "If they didn't, I doubt the show would've ended like it did."

Nyu and Nana went on a stroll.

As the rain fell down.

R: "...We know the significance of rain to Lucy."

A: "Bando has _different_ thoughts of the rain." She muttered. "I can't even look forward to him _dying_ this episode."

S: "He didn't die _at all_ , did he?"

K: "He was in bad shape at the start of the _last_ episode. If it makes you feel better, you could _say_ he died shortly after Lucy left him."

A: "It _would_ make me feel better if I thought that!"

Nyu offered her biscuit.

E: "I can _understand_ if she didn't want to take her offer, at the moment."

They _both_ slipped.

They _would've_ giggled, if they didn't know what it meant. "It's fine if _Nana_ slips, but _Nyu_ slipping is a bit more of a concern."

S: "Good to hear _you_ care for Nana."

_Look at this Photograph_ (12:50)

A: "As if we needed any _more_ confirmation that we're in the past."

R: "Deceased persons do not often come back to life."

K: "And all the exceptions thus far have been related one way or another to _NERV_."

Speaking of death, it flashed thought his thoughts at the time.

E: "So _she_ was the queen."

R: "Indeed. The original Diclonius, from what it sounds like."

S: "All the other Diclonius stemmed from _her_ , then."

R: "In a way."

K: "We know how _infectious_ they are."

A: "Hey, Hiro and Zero Two aren't like _that_ , are they?"

R: "If they _were_ , we would have noticed by now. Though if I were you, I would not _synchronise_ with either of them; no offence intended to _either_ of them."

S: "I doubt they _would_ want to synchronise with anyone else."

E: "Why _wouldn't_ you want to synchronise with them?"

K: "Zero Two had a bit of a... _reputation_ when it came to killing her other half of a pilot pair."

E: "...What."

Rei giggled. "You really need to watch Darling in the Franxx, Eliza."

_Shelter_ (14:15)

A: "I mean, _I'd_ be starting to get concerned as well. Even _usually_ hitting her head, she doesn't stay knocked out for _that_ long."

E: "Could _this_ have been the cause of that fever of hers?"

The Tumbleweed collectively craned their heads at _another_ flashback. "Who the hell is _him_?"

K: "A... _male_ Diclonius?" In curiosity. "That, or a tomboy."

R: "You cannot tell?"

K: "You should know by now such thing does not matter _too_ much to me."

A: " _Shinji_ certainly knows that, by now."

He blushed.

A: "Still, they _look_ like all the other girls, so I'm inclined to believe they're just a girl with a relatively deep voice."

E: "A Diclonius with _grey_ hair, however?"

R: "An outlier, I would think."

E: " _Certainly_ an outlier."

S: "It could always be _Lucy_ , as well. And the colours were just washed out."

If this were Japan, there'd be the sound of cicadas.

A: "Welp, we're idiots."

E: "Agreed." A flat remark.

_Papa_ (15:30)

R: "...We know full well she did not _end_ her here and there."

Back to the past.

K: "Ah, this was when they _found_ her, I assume."

Back to the present.

A: "Yes I'm sure if they _knew_ what Nana wanted to do with Nyu, they'd have some _reservations_."

E: "Wanting to kill someone generally _does_ cause concerns with others, I feel."

S: "Though it seems _they're_ more worried they'd catch a cold, or something."

R: "It _is_ raining a lot."

A: "It rains so _rarely_ , I'd _dance_ underneath it."

E: "Has it rained _here_ , yet? It certainly _looks_ like it might."

Asuka shrugged. "It might. Overcast conditions are pretty typical of German winters."

S: "You guys have _winter_ here?"

Asuka pointed to the overcast conditions outside. "I'm surprised you lot didn't pack _warm_ clothing, honestly."

R: "I know _we_ do not exactly _require_ such external warmth."

K: "Not that we packed much to begin with."

A: "Oh I know _that_ well. _You're_ certainly taking the brisk conditions well, Shinji."

S: "I don't think it's too bad."

_Friend_ (16:15)

Past.

S: "...This will not end well for _her_ , will it."

E: "Nope."

A: "She's certainly ticking all the right boxes, at least."

A small kiss.

R: "And _more_ so, as well. Not bad."

The police found them.

R: " _Now_ it is bad."

S: "They're assuming _she's_ a Diclonius, as well?"

The gunfire indicated _yes_.

K: "They are certainly morally _grey_."

A: "We don't need _more_ proof of that! It's a good thing _Lucy_ can defend her."

A bullet pierced through the unknown girl.

Now the flat stares were aimed at _Asuka_.

A: "Fine, my bad." She muttered.

K: "...So _this_ was how they found Lucy?"

E: "What was that time when she was _younger_ , though?"

R: "She is _older_ , in this. And... she _understands_ the importance of a friend."

S: "...Maybe this relationship would've been even _more_ significant than her with Kouta."

A: "If she wasn't fucking _murdered_ immediately! And I _doubt_ they can save her."

E: "Wouldn't be the _first_ lie they told."

Indeed, it was only a matter of time before they told her the _truth_.

K: "...Oh. So _that's_ why she broke out that time."

R: "Grief is one of the major drives a person can use."

E: "And that was why _he_ didn't die, when she made her play."

A: "Would've been nice if we were told about her friend _before_."

R: "It fits for an OVA, at the very least. It is a good expansion on what is known, but if you end up missing it, it is not a huge issue."

_Destati_ (20:40)

Nyu awoke.

E: " _Now_ she can't end her."

And everyone else found them.

S: "Especially since _they're_ there now."

And they were soon home.

A: "Jesus, _you_ picked that, Yuka?"

R: "It covers up all the necessary parts, at least."

A: "It's more the fact it's _pink_. Her _hair's_ already pink, isn't it?"

Nana started crying at the kindness, as Nyu held some _questionable_ looking undergarments.

A: "Okay, Yuka didn't pick _that,_ surely?! That barely covers _anything_!"

K: "At _that_ point, you might as well not _wear_ anything _._ "

R: "Yes, I am sure _you_ would like that, Kaworu."

K: "I half expected to get a slap on the head for that."

Rei slapped him on the head. "I half expected you to have _kept quiet_."

K: "Yeah, that was my fault."

E: "His feelings were rather _unfounded_ , in the end."

A: "Yeah, he certainly got to _keep_ his little _harem_ at the end of the show, didn't he?"

R: "Not bad for someone we wrote off at the _start_ of this series."

As if to top off the fact Nyu and Nana were _friends_ , now it cut to the bathhouse.

And a very _enthusiastic_ Nyu _cleaning_ Nana. "Y'know something? They must've been making up for the _lack_ of fanservice in the final few episodes, weren't they?"

K: "Excluding Nana's _crucifixion_ , of course."

S: "We know how she got around to feeding _Wanta_ , at least."

A: "I'm sure people were rioting in front of ARMS' offices wanting to know such information."

A brief cut to Bando.

They _all_ laughter at how _exaggerated_ Bando's impotent rage was at Nana not keeping her end of the bargain. "You dumb bitch, Bando!"

E: "Bit of a _waste_ of expensive bullets, isn't it."

R: "I am sure all that _tungsten_ on the beach would have been _very_ useful for Lucy."

K: "If they ever faced again, that was."

And with an overstuffed Wanta and a joyous Nana, the credits rolled.

Asuka leaned back in her chair, sighing. "Fuck. _That_ was a show and a half, wasn't it."

"I was pleasantly surprised _most_ of them ended up alive, in the end."

"Most? Almost _all_ of them ended up alive at the end of it." Shinji pointed out.

"Though there are _still_ unanswered questions. In example, the _Director_ is still out there. _That_ wasn't resolved."

"Well, at _this_ point, I'm not exactly giving a few shits. The show's over!" Exclaimed Asuka. "We don't have to _touch_ it ever again!"

They _all_ cheered.

Asuka glanced down to her phone. "And we _still_ have ample time before the football game, as well."

"Yes, I'm sure you'll spend that time well." She deadpanned.

"I will." Dialing in a number. "I haven't spoken to Misato in a few days."

She went upstairs.

"...Huh. I was half expecting her to take _one_ of you up there."

"Oh we aren't _that_ obsessed with that, Eliza."

The deadest of deadpans was offered to Shinji.  "Well, what's there to do _before_ the game?"

"It is close to lunch, so perhaps Shinji can cook something up. Since we are going out _later_."

Shrugging. "Works for me."

"Though until _then_." As Rei got up, taking out the disc of Elfen Lied and putting it in the case. "I am thinking of playing some Spyro."

Eliza rolled her free eye.  "You guys have _homework_ , you realise."

"Lighten up a little, Eliza." Rei smirked. "We will do our homework _later_. Kaworu? Be a dear and take this to where our luggage is?"

"Heh. As you wish." A mock bow, before taking the discs upstairs.

It didn't take much for him to carelessly toss the discs on top of his duffel bag.

Though there was something _else_ that soon caught his interest. Asuka's song became a bit more... _muted_.

A small sigh. _'I wonder what Misato had to say about our..._ activities _.'_

_'You sensed it too, I gather.'_

_'Indeed. Hopefully... it does not rattle her too much.'_

_'We will be here if it does, Kaworu.'_

He couldn't help but give a soft smile. _'...Yeah. We will.'_

* * *

## 3\. One Another

Misato's phone clicked off. "...Hopefully you don't take my words too badly, Asuka." She softly mused to herself, outside of her office where Hikari was currently _struggling_ through the last few episodes of the Laserdiscs. She knew they _all_ liked one another, she didn't expect them to get like... _that_ in only a few days.

A small sigh. "They're young, Misato." Talking to herself. "I... shouldn't be too worried about it."

She went back into her office.

Just to catch the end of Kaworu at Unit-01's hand, Hikari giving out a pained sob.

She went back _out_ of her office. Hiro and Zero Two were doing alright with the comfort part, and she _really_ didn't want to see what came next.

So it was a short walk to Ritsuko's lab. Surely trying to get a damn _video game_ running was going to be less depressing. "How's the game going?"

"We got _Whistler_ up and running, at least." Ritsuko muttered, a cigarette sizzling in a nearby ashtray.

" _I'm_ gonna need a smoke after trying to deal with this." Maya replicated her Sempai.

"There's not exactly a _need_ to, but Maya's been setting up a user account for Eliza."

"You mean _Kensuke_ , right?" Misato thought aloud. "Speaking of, where _is_ Kensuke, anyway?"

The question wasn't answered. Instead, the Sempai and the Kohai looked between themselves, pensive looks growing on their faces. "R-right. _Kensuke's_ the one playing this."

Misato couldn't help but grimace, as she realised she may have made a mistake. "I'm... just gonna find him myself."

She was soon gone.

Leaving Ritsuko and Maya alone with their emotions.

"Did... we really just make an account for Eliza?"

A small nod from Maya, her hands starting to tremble.

"...Damn it."

Maya was soon in Ritsuko's arms, her other sensing her pain. "...I have to go through all those damn windows again." She tried to joke.

"It's... fine, Maya."

Another silence.

"...You know, Sempai. I... keep having to remind myself she's still alive. Even... even if she's not here with us."

Holding her closer. "I suppose we really _did_ take her for granted."

"Well... she _is_ our daughter."

"She is." Ritsuko firmed. "And... _nothing_ will change our love for her."

Another silence.

Broken by Maya's soft sobbing. "...I... _miss her_ , Ritsuko. I know I... really should know better but-"

"Shh... it's fine, Maya." Soft and calm, despite her own emotion. "...I'm sure our pilots are treating her right, over there."

"I _know_ , but... I just want to _see_ her." She pleaded, before her walls broke once more.

And so they stayed as they were, for the time being.

~

Toji would often spend his Saturday and Sunday with Hikari, being one of the few times they _had_ one another.

Unfortunately, she was in NERV for "NERV business", whatever Gods forsaken thing that meant. All _he_ knew was that it meant he didn't exactly know what to _do_ with himself.

Perhaps _that_ was why he was playing Super Mario Bros on the Famicom that has been in his family for longer than _he_ has.

"Gimme that, Ji!"

And swapping with Sakura, whenever he died to something stupid.

The home phone started to ring. "Cover for me, alright?"

"You bet!"

"And _don't_ just take all my lives again."

Sakura blew him a raspberry, before proceeding to run into the same Goomba 27 times.

The big brother rolled his eyes, as he answered the phone. "Suzuhara residence."

_"...Toji?"_

That tone _worried_ him. "Hikari? What happened?"

Her breath was deep and full of melancholy. _"I'll... tell you when I get there. They'll disconnect me otherwise."_

"...Oh." A quiet remark. "So... are you coming here then?"

_"Yeah..."_ She too was quiet. _"I... could use someone like you holding me, tonight."_

"...Okay, Hikari." He agreed, dreading whatever the hell happened. "What about my sis?"

_"I... spoke with Kodama. She's willing to let her sleep over for the night. Give us... some quiet time."_ A brief pause. _"Is your dad still working nights?"_

"Yeah, he won't be back in until around seven."

_"That's... good."_

She gave a soft sigh. _"I'll... see you soon, Toji."_

"Yeah. I'll see you soon, Hikari."

She clicked off.

Toji shook his head, the phone returning to its cradle. "Hey sis? You wanna sleep over at Nozomi's place tonight?"

The game paused. "Are you and Hikari making babies again?"

He _immediately_ became flustered. "W-what makes you think that?!"

"I's the _only_ thing teenage couples do, at least according to Noz." A cheeky grin from someone _way_ too young to be talking about that sort of business. "It explains _why_ you two like being alone for long, _unsupervised_ periods of time, anyway."

"What the hell is she _teaching_ you?"

"Maybe if you didn't send me over there every weekend or so, you'd know." Once more poking her tongue, as she got her travel bag. "So when's Noz becoming my sister-in-law?"

"Sis-" Once more, he became flustered. "I'm not even _old_ enough to get married!"

"Well age faster!" Exclaiming, as she made her leave. "Tell dad I'll be back before sundown tomorrow."

"I might."

"You better!"

And the door shut.

Toji sighed. "Damn it, sis."

He sat back down on the couch, grabbing the Famicon controller.

His face immediately fell flat upon seeing the _trap_ Sakura left him.

Within about a second from unpausing, Mario fell into a bottomless pit, and it was game over.

Toji _grumbled_. "Damn it, sis."

He spent another thirty or so minutes trying to get through Super Mario Bros before there was a knock on his door.

The Famicom went off, along with the TV, and Toji answered the door. "Hey there, Hika-"

She immediately wrapped her arms around him.

The boy immediately looked down, seeing his significant other _trembling_ , her face currently buried in his shoulder.

In reply, _he_ immediately held her close, knowing she was in pain. "What happened, Hikari?"

"I... it's a long story." Her breathing was ragged. "But..."

Whispering in his ear. "NERV has these... things, that somehow show what... _could_ have been."

"And... something happened in them."

A small nod.

The grim realisation hit him. "Involving _me_."

Another small nod, with a sniffle. "I-instead of _me_ being chosen to pilot Unit-03, it was _you_. And... and..."

"Shh..." Holding her closer. "You... don't need to tell me if you don't want to, Hikari."

"You... got _injured_ , Toji." She quietly admitted. "You _lost_ a leg. And... all because of that damned former Commander..."

Slightly tighter. "I'm... here, Hikari. Completely fine, all my limbs intact."

"...I think that's why I wanted to come here. To... remind me, Toj."

Toji shifted the two of them, using a leg to close the door behind them, all the while still holding her.

"...Don't stop holding me, Toji." She murmured.

"I won't... don't you worry."

There was a small sob. "...I'm... glad I found you, Toji."

His hand ran through her hair. "Do you want to rest with me, Hikari?"

The smallest of nods.

"Couch or bed?"

"...bed."

Still holding her, he gently manoeuvred himself and her to his room, a rather spartan affair but it's not like he used it for much else.

The both of them fell onto the futon. Indeed, they did not separate. "...Thank you, Toji."

"You know I'm here for you, Hikari." Softly murmuring, his eyes adjusting to the dark of the night, to see her continue to tremble. "...No matter _what_ happens."

There was silence, as Hikari settled. His steady beat certainly helped her, a constant reminder that what she saw did not happen. "...I love you, Toji."

It was but a murmur, but there was _plenty_ of emotion behind it.

"I love you too, Hikari."

And there was no more talking. The both of them falling asleep in short order.

~

The game between Hertha and Hoffenheim ended in a _draw_. But at least that meant _both_ sides ended up disappointed.

It was certainly rather... _interesting_ on the tumbleweed seeing Randall Vogel, in the flesh. Rei and Kaworu had thrown around some potential comparisons between him and Ritsuko, trying to guesstimate if he _was_ her father.

But there was... _another_ pressing issue on their minds, especially as they all bunched up on the couch. "Asuka? You've been... _pensive_ , ever since that conversation you had with Misato."

Asuka gave a short sigh. "Have we been moving a bit... _fast_ , you think?"

They glanced between one another. "Did Misato have her reservations on our... _activities_?"

"...Yeah." She too looked between all of them. " _She_ certainly thought we were moving fast. 'There's more to love than sex', she said."

Shinji went for her hand.

"...Be honest. Was I... moving us a bit too fast?"

There was a short silence.

"...I was rather _surprised,_ admittedly." Kaworu eventually spoke. "I did not mind the... _assertiveness_ , though. I'll make clear."

It didn't help Asuka. "...damn it." She muttered, pain on her face. "I... I'm sorry."

It was _Rei_ that hugged her. "Do not blame yourself. You... just wanted to get close with him."

"...Yeah. But I should've-"

Rei's finger went over Asuka's mouth. "If you want, we can-"

"No. I... love _all_ of you." Quietly admitting. "I... don't want to ruin what we h-"

Once more, Rei quelled Asuka. "Asuka. _We_ love you. Nothing will _ever_ change that."

Shinji and Kaworu both agreed, the both of them moving to hold her close.

"...God damn it." Soft, her eyes closing, enjoying the company of the people she was closest with. "What did I do to deserve you guys..."

"You... showed me love when few people would."

"You gave me my life, Asuka."

"You helped _save_ my life."

They would've continued with those sorts of complements, but Asuka shushed them. "I... get it."

Rei gave a sad smile, pale hands running through her auburn hair. "The point is, we _all_ love you, Asuka."

"As... you love _us_." Shinji added on, resting his head on her shoulder.

"And we will _always_ be there."

Another small silence.

Before a small sigh from Asuka, as she relaxed. "...I love you guys. But... Misato _does_ have a point, I suppose."

"Do you want to _stop_ our swinging?"

Shaking her head. "I... _like_ being with you guys. Though... we'll ease off on _doing it_." A small huff. "We can get to know one another _without_ spreading our legs, after all."

A small but sad chuckle from Rei. "I can work with that. Is... kissing still fine?"

Asuka nodded.

To which Rei kissed her. Followed by Shinji.

And on the behest of Rei, followed by Kaworu.

"Can... you guys stay here with me?"

They glanced between one another.

"It'll be pretty _cozy_." Shinji mused, getting comfortable.

"...I _like_ cozy, Shinji."

Despite it still being relatively early, it didn't take much for Asuka to fall into a slumber.

"...So much for doing homework." Eliza mused.

"We'll make up for it, Eliza." Promised Kaworu, as they and Rei begun to settle down themselves. "This... is more important."

It didn't take too much longer for the two to settle, Rei resting on Asuka and Kaworu resting on the laps of Rei and Asuka.

Leaving Shinji, still leaning on Asuka's shoulder.

He couldn't help but chuckle at how this could _count_ as a pile. Not one he _entirely_ expected but... still one he loved, anyway.

Soon enough, all four of them were asleep in the company of one another.

From the corner of the room, a penguin watched on. He... was probably going to have to make up for that material, he realised. Lest they _somehow_ figure out a way to remove his head.

At least it ended alright, for them.

He soon faded. They needed a break.

* * *

## 4\. Southern Cross

It was just after midnight, Australian Western Standard Time, when Spencer Makinami's jet touched down. Hawthorne to Bendigo to New Albany was a flight rarely made, but it was _necessary_ for Spencer, he felt.

Not _just_ because it got him out of those damned Oversight meetings while he could still _say_ he was fulfilling the wishes of Oversight. Though that _was_ a pretty good bonus.

Indeed, he had _business_ this far south in the world. More accurately, it was _further_ south than here, but there wasn't too much land left south of here. "You know you didn't have to come with, Claire."

"That would've meant being _separated_ from you, though. And... after what happened _last_ time you were gone..."

He couldn't help but sigh, his arm draping over her shoulders. "That's fair enough. At least... we could consider this a vacation."

"A _working_ vacation."

"The _only_ communications we have out of Swan is my satellite phone. I doubt there'd be _much_ work going on."

It didn't take too long before they and their luggage were in the back of an AU Fairmont, travelling into town. "You must've gotten all of this arranged _somehow_ , Spen."

"Through satellite phone."

A flat look. "I didn't even know you _had_ resources in a place like... _this_. I didn't even _know_ there was another Australia."

"No one did, not until the UN actually _bothered_ to look." Muttering. "A shame. There's _plenty_ of opportunity here."

A small sigh, her hand drifting to his. "So... what's the agenda?"

"Today... we're just going to get settled. _Tomorrow_ , however, we're retrieving Voyager. Its value _cannot_ be understated, at the moment. And... if _that_ somehow ended up there, who's to say something _else_ can't end up there, as well?"

It served as a sobering reminder to Claire, as to _what_ they were dealing with. "What... are we getting into?"

"Nothing good, I imagine." A small sigh, as he looked into the clear night sky, the southern cross shining down. "It's _never_ anything good."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued in Chronicles: The NERV-Aperture Laboratories Joint Testing Initiative...


End file.
